KTI : Consequence and Sacrifice
by Split Persona
Summary: A mystery hidden with the leaves involving a young genin and a father no one ever sees. But Naruto won't leave it alone until he finds out the truth. Although the truth isn't what he expected. NaruSasuNaru. Detailed summary inside. posttime jump AU
1. Part 1

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**Title: KTI : Consequence and Sacrifice  
Author: S.P. Kathrine  
Fandom: Naruto  
Rating: R (M)  
Warnings: AU, BL (boyxboy), lack of uke/seme distinctions, violence, language, lack of well-written fight scenes, unbetaed (Does reading it over three times count?), Possibly OOC-ness, OC (important, but not main character of story)  
Part: 1 of undetermined  
Pairings: NaruSasuNaru (little-to-no uke / seme-ness), LeeSaku, HinaNeji (Hyuugacest), and others  
Summary: Mizono Saigo was always considered somewhat of a mystery by the people who know him, or of him. He was a considered one of the top students in the Ninja Academy, but was also a rather normal, if more-than-somewhat antisocial child. The true mystery was the father who no one saw, no one spoke to, who no one could even confirm existed. So when Saigo suddenly develops a bloodline trait that none could expect, a secret kept for over a decade comes to light, even though the former Hokage had forbidden anyone knowing of it to ever speak of it, even to her replacement. And the truth about Saigo's father is revealed. AU story because of changes made to canon plot.**

**Author's Notes:**

**This story was a complete experiment on my part when I first started writing. I once swore I would never write a Naruto fic because I find my favorite character (Sasuke) to be a hard one to write properly. Seeing as this is AU, the OOC-ness has some basis though. When I started this I had horrible Writer's Block on my other story and this just came out of nowhere while reading another author's work. That author is Vlissan on who is writing '_Forgive me father, normally you'd have my word_'. I couldn't get all of the different ideas out of my head. She gave me permission to use the beginning storyline, although I'm hoping to keep it as different from hers as possible. If anyone who reads this thinks it sounds too much like hers please tell me, because I stopped reading her story so I wouldn't accidentally copy anything. If they start to parallel each other, it's not on purpose, and I will rewrite it immediately. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or things would be turning out _very_ differently.**

**Part One**

_They were fighting well and had been for almost two hours. The two in the center of the arena were obviously getting tired and working towards ending the match as soon as possible. The blonde genin, Fukagane Riki, had just used a jutsu to lock his dark-haired opponent's legs into place. His opponent didn't seem to be panicking, but it seemed like he wasn't sure how to get out of his predicament. Naruto let out a sigh. The young genin was good, with great stamina, but it seemed that the boy five years his senior was just more experienced. The boy needed to find a way out of the jutsu soon, because Riki wasn't going to give him much leeway._

_Suddenly, the boy preformed a move of his own, hands moving so quickly that Naruto almost missed the hand signals. There was an explosion in the middle of the arena, Riki blinded by the smoke and debris. It seemed that his opponent had hidden an exploding tag and just triggered it. The distraction gave his plenty of time to break the jutsu and plan his attack. Naruto chuckled; the young genin definitely had some tricks. He looked over to Gaara, who sat beside him, and yet it seemed that the redhead had not yet taken his eyes away from the match._

_Once the smoke had begun to clear, Riki was on the offensive once more, although his opponent seemed of the same mind and took the first strike, throwing six shuriken towards his larger adversary. Riki dodged, but suddenly the shuriken turned back around towards him as if they were boomerang. Strings, Naruto realized; a rather common technique. Riki seemed to anticipate this and dodged them again, only to leave himself wide open for an attack from below. His opponent had rushed forward with surprising speed and ducked down, kicking the older genin in the chin and sending him flying through the air. Naruto blinked in confusion. The move seemed familiar. From the ever-so slight movement beside him, it seemed that Gaara had recognized it as well._

_As Riki flew through the air, the dark-haired boy rushed forward, suddenly throwing himself into a forward flip and thrusting himself into the air feet first. Just as Riki was coming down he was welcomed by a direct kick to the stomach by both feet. His eyes bulged and a gasp was heard as both he and his opponent hit the ground, the younger boy managing to land on his feet while Riki fell back first. His opponent stepped away, and Riki flipped over onto his stomach, pushing his feet beneath him as he coughed and held his stomach. Naruto couldn't tell if he had coughed up blood, but it seemed that the other boy was giving him time to stand. And Riki did within less than five minutes. He was not going to give up easily. Naruto was impressed by the boy's determination, but it seemed that his opponent was just as driven to win._

_Riki looked upwards towards the other genin and seemed instantly frozen, not moving. The other boy was still, body in fighting stance, ready to continue. There were words being spoken, but because of the distance, Naruto could not make them out, even with his enhanced hearing. Riki was shouting, pointing at the dark-haired boy before him. The boy fell out of his stance, hands going to his face._

"_What is going on?" Naruto stood up moving to the railing of the balcony._

_The referee of the exam, Tenten, was moving forward onto the field taking control of the situation by the tone of her voice. Riki was backing away, hand wrapped around his abdomen and shaking his head. The other boy turned towards Tenten and she, too, froze. And then she was moving quickly, hands signaling the end of the match._

"_This match is over! Winner by forfeit is Mizono Saigo!" She then placed a hand on the winner's shoulder, and performed the symbols with her other for the teleportation jutsu. With a 'poof' of smoke, both were gone from the field and the stands erupted in confusion and loud voices. Naruto turned around, noticing that Gaara had not moved, remaining seated with the other visiting Kage._

"_Excuse me," he told them with small bow. "I'll be right back." He entered the hallway and then exited by way of the stairs, moving quickly. At the bottom of the six flights was a divided corridor, leading in four separate directions. Looking down them, he found Tenten standing outside a door leading to one of the medical rooms. _

"_What the hell happened out there?" he asked, frowning. "The match was going great, people were loving and then-"_

"_Naruto," she interrupted; a look on her face that did not bode well. "There is something that you're going to want to see."_

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_He never understood why 'Tou-san would not go outside to play with him. Yes, he would join him in the big yard behind their home for training, but would not step outside its boundaries or even onto their front porch. He wondered if it had something to do with the men that sometimes came to get 'Tou-san at night, but always brought him back home by morning. On the day that he entered the Ninja Academy, 'Tou-san was not there to congratulate him. His new teacher, Hyoji-sensei asked why his parents did not come, but he did not answer. It was not Hyoji-sensei's business whether or not his 'Tou-san came. He knew his 'Tou-san was proud of him, even though he would never say it._

_Although, when he returned home that afternoon, he found a brand new leather weapon's pouch with supplies and freshly polished kunai and shuriken on his bed. Just the sight left him feeling as if he has just eaten a plate full of sweets and couldn't stand to eat another bite. Full and satisfied. _

_He strapped the pouch to his leg and rushed downstairs and out the backdoor. Sure enough, there was his 'Tou-san, putting the finishing touches on the last of several targets he'd set up around the long, wide backyard._

"_It's time to practice your aim, Saigo," 'Tou-san explained. "You're ready for more difficult targets that one simple board."_

_He didn't know what to say. 'Tou-san was usually rather quiet and did not speak often. It was up to him to fill the silence that was always around their home. But just hearing those words…_

"_Yes, 'Tou-san!" he smiled and bowed before quickly pulling a few shuriken from his new pouch. If 'Tou-san believed he was ready, then he would not disappoint him. He knew that there was only so much time he had left before all of this would come to an end._

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"And lastly, Cell 13 will consist of…Rock Lin, Hyuuga Hikoshi, and Mizono Saigo."

Owner of the first name jumped up, her long black hair pulled away from her face and therefore leaving no part of her wide smile hidden. "Great!" she exclaimed, green eyes bright and excited. "We shall make a wonderful team!"

Most did not know how to handle the sheer exuberance that Rock Lin exuded whenever she was in the vicinity, but it seemed that neither of her new teammates was affected by it. Hyuuga Hikoshi was a childhood friend of Lin and knew all of her 'quirks', while Saigo simply did not care. As long as her behavior did not get in the way of their work as a cell, she could recite saccharine poetry about the 'power of youth' at the top of her lungs, while wearing that rather disturbing green, spandex suit that her father wore-although her mother would _never_ allow her to go that far.

"Thank you Lin," the Iruka-sensei smiled back in return, the corners of his eyes crinkling. For a man over forty, it did not seem that Iruka-sensei was losing any of the stamina in teaching to the future ninja of Konoha. Rather, he seemed less stressed as each year went on, but still just as strict as when Saigo had first moved up to the second level class away from beginner's status. Iruka-sensei taught half of the second-level students and all of the third, which there were always less of. A student only got to the third level if he or she was recommended by a teacher or somehow got the attention of a ninja-one not family affiliated-who would vouch for him or her. This usually never happened, but Lin had been placed in the third level about half a year early. She was younger than pretty much every other student in the class-Saigo and Hikoshi included, if only by one or two months.

"Now on the board are the meeting places for each cell," Iruka-sensei explained. "Each of you should be in your designated place to meet your jounin instructor in exactly three hours."

"Yes, Iruka-sensei," was the response of the entire room.

"Goodbye, new genin," Iruka smiled at them and watched as each of them went their separate ways, some already gathering with their new teammates, while others simply wandered off. Just as he was getting up from his own seat in the far back of the room, Iruka-sensei called out, "Saigo, please wait so that I may speak with you."

_Why? I haven't done anything wrong in the last few months,_ he went through everything that had transpired since his last 'meeting' with Iruka-sensei and yet could not think of anything that would warrant another. He had been on his best behavior and hadn't even gotten into any fights, which was not a usual occurrence for him, but at the same time not uncommon.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei?" he asked, walking down the center stairs and standing before him middle-aged teacher.

"I noticed that your father did not come to the graduation ceremony, two days ago," he replied. "I wasn't able to speak with you then because you left so soon, but-"

"My father was very proud of my accomplishments, Iruka-sensei," Saigo interrupted him.

Iruka-sensei wasn't shocked by the boy's abrupt statement. He was used to the boy's defensive attitude when it came to his family. "I would have to believe so," he replied. "What parent wouldn't be proud of their son graduating from the academy and becoming a genin? Especially at second in the class. I just wonder about your father's lack of participation-"

"I train with my father all of the time!" Saigo frowned. "He might not be a ninja, but that doesn't mean he doesn't help me with my training!" He then suddenly calmed down, taking a soft, deep breath and bowing to the chuunin. "I apologize for my outburst, Iruka-sensei, but I am no longer your student. I am a genin and my father's '_participation_' is no longer a factor. Thank you very much for your concern, but I must go."

Without waiting for reply, he turned around and was gone from the room as fast as he could go without running.

A short distance outside the door, he stopped, leaning against the wall to rub his eyes and banish the headache that was arising. They were normal, and usually rather mild, something that he had been dealing with for the past few weeks. He had yet to tell anyone, not wanting Iruka-sensei to hold him back from taking the genin exam, and to keep his father from worrying. It was not as if they were unbearable, and he knew that they would have to go away eventually, or he would simply get used to them.

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It was just nearing dusk when he heard the footsteps as a person hurried through the grass, not bothering to employ stealth. Leaving his seat by the window in the lounge, he walked through the kitchen and opened the sliding door that led to the backyard.

"'Tou-san!" his son cried out. "You wouldn't believe who my new instructor is!"

"Hn?" his father inquired, allowing his son past him into the house, at the same time ritualistically dropping his shoes off at the door. "It must be someone interesting indeed."

"Konohamaru-san!" he replied. "I couldn't believe it! I didn't even know that he was accepting any students!" Konohamaru was an elite jounin who was known for his stealth skills-it was said that not even a Hyuuga could pick him out if he wanted to stay hidden-and was the right hand of the Hokage. There were rumors that he would be up for the position when the current leader decided to step down. To Saigo, it meant that he was going to learn from one of the best.

"And your teammates?"

"Rock Lin and Hyuuga Hikoshi," he replied. "I don't understand. They try to usually put the worst with the best. Why would they put Hyuuga and me on the same team? Lin is great with taijutsu and basic genjutsu, so she would be good with either one of us as she's weak in ninjutsu. They would have definitely put her on Hikoshi's team, as he is number one in the class. But why was I put with them?"

"It was the Hokage's decision," his father explained, although knowing there was more to it than that. "It is he who decides which genin will go into each cell. Perhaps he believed your abilities would complement each other."

His son gave a small grunt beside him, mumbling, "Or everyone else fit together and we were the leftovers." He ignored the comment his son knew he had heard and stood, moving back into the kitchen to collect the bento that had been sitting on the table. "Eat your lunch and we can return to your training."

"Yes, 'Tou-san," Saigo took the offered meal and sat down at the table to eat it.

His father left him there, knowing that he would clean up after himself. The man went upstairs to gather the supplies needed for their training that day, following the well-known path to his room, where all of the extra weapons were stored in various out-of-sight places. They were not hidden to prevent Saigo from getting to them, as the boy would never step into his father's room without expressed permission, but out of a habit he never tried to kick. The familiarity was a small comfort to him after all this time.

Going to his wardrobe, he knelt down and slid his fingers along the bottom of the tall moveable closet until he found the proper hole to press his index finger into and then pulled. This caused bottom open up into a drawer from beneath the wardrobe, something that he had installed himself. He removed the weapon's pouch hidden there and was about to close it once more when his hands slid across the rough wooden outline, and then glassy interior, of a picture frame.

Slowly, he pulled the object from within the confines of the drawer and held it in his hands. It was old and yet still in impeccable condition from its preservation. Lightly, he ran his fingers over the glass of the picture and the faces behind it. He stood up and took steps backwards until he reached the upraised platform of his bed, sitting down on the edge, eyes gazing forward, mind treading in a place he would not often allow.

"'Tou-san! I'm ready!" Saigo called from downstairs and he stood, setting the picture facedown upon his bed. It was a reminder of a past that he was not willing to return to…people he could not return to.

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**Sorry for the confusing, short start, but it is actually meant to seem that way. You might have already been able to notice a few things, and it you did please comment on them. I know it seems like that the OC is the main character to some, but he's not. Important, but he's not the main character at all. I will try to strengthen that distinction later on. There will be quite a few time-skips in this story, either going forwards or backwards. It's all for the sake of the plot and whatever the hell my mind thinks it is doing.**


	2. Part 2

**Quick update, because I already had this part finished and a few more as well. Don't expect speedy updates to be the norm, because it probably WON'T be.**

**Title: Kekka to Ikenie (_Consequence and Sacrifice)_  
Author: S.P. Kathrine  
Fandom: Naruto  
Rating: R-NC17 (M-MA)  
Warnings: AU, BL (boyxboy), lack of uke/seme distinctions, violence, language, lack of well-written fight scenes, unbetaed (Does reading it over three times count?), Possibly OOC-ness, OC (important, but not main character of story)  
Part: 2 of undetermined  
Pairings: NaruSasuNaru (little-to-no uke / seme-ness), LeeSaku, HinaNeji (Hyuugacest), and others  
Summary: Mizono Saigo was always considered somewhat of a mystery by the people who know him, or of him. He was a considered one of the top students in the Ninja Academy, but was also a rather normal, if more-than-somewhat antisocial child. The true mystery was the father who no one saw, no one spoke to, who no one could even confirm existed. So when Saigo suddenly develops a bloodline trait that none could expect, a secret kept for over a decade comes to light, even though the former Hokage had forbidden anyone knowing of it to ever speak of it, even to her replacement. And the truth about Saigo's father is revealed. AU story because of changes made to canon plot.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**Part Two**

It was quieter, when Saigo was gone. Unlike when he was simply gone to school and would return home near the end of the day, and would return home near the end of the day, missions as of late would take him away for days, or even weeks at a time. It had been a difficulty--although he would never admit just _how_ difficult--the first time that his had gone on a long term mission. But he had adjusted, just as he did when any variation entered his routine. He cooked meals for one, rather than two, and spent hours training himself, when before he would have been training Saigo. The long term quiet was neither harsh nor unbearable; simply something he was no longer accustomed to after so many years.

_They'll be here soon,_ he thought to himself, based on the passing of time measured by his internal clock, which had also been adjusted and perfected over time. There were no calendars or clocks in his home-none were needed when both he and his son were capable of going on without them-but he still knew what day it was and what time of day exactly. As the year went by, it had become like second nature. And so, when he heard the near inaudible footsteps on his back porch-they attempted to neither hide nor expose themselves-he was already waiting with the door open.

"You're late," he spoke before his two visitors.

"Only by ten minutes," the first replied, his face covered by a hawk mask that was not needed, while his partner bore one of a wolf.

The second stepped forward, brandishing two brown bags that she set down on the kitchen table. "Your groceries for the next week, Tezuka."

The man nodded and reached out to remove packages from within the bags. He noticed there was also more food present than what he was usually brought to him when he was home alone. "Saigo is not due home until the end of the week," he reminded them.

"The mission to Suna finished earlier than expected," Hawk replied. "Konohamaru-san and his team shall be in Konoha by tomorrow afternoon."

"I see," the man said, not emotional inclination present.

"Godaime-sama has decided to enlist the help of another medic-nin," Hawk told him. "She specializes in treatment to the eyes and has proven herself trustworthy enough to maintain the code."

Tezuka didn't really care about the efforts of the former Hokage, seeing as her experiments were for medical benefit rather than his own. He had already come to accept his position and saw no point in the continuous attempts on her part to fix it. Perhaps it was her own guilt that drove her ambitions, but that was also due to her own honor system that meant very little to him.

"You may tell her that it is not necessary, although it is unlikely that she will care about my opinion in the matter," he said. Of course she wouldn't. His opinion had not mattered in the past ten years.

Wolf seemed confused at the raven-haired man's words. Tezuka knew from her scent and demeanor that she was a recent addition to the team that was ordered to watch over him. "Do you prefer being blind?" she asked.

Tezuka moved to put away the groceries in the places that he knew they belonged: all cold packages and vegetables in the fridge, all boxes in the two cabinets, and the fruit in the basket on the counter. Most would not believe he was blind, because of the absolute precision in which he moved about his home and was able to decipher actually what went where, but there were many tricks that he had learned over the years. There were times when even he himself forgot his 'handicap' and would open his eyes to complete darkness. But they were not often, as he usually made sure to never open them. He had found that out the hard way.

"It something that I have already become accustomed to," the man said. "I am no longer in a position where sight is required."

Hawk gave a brief nod, stepping back so that he and his partner could leave. "I'll relay your message, but as you said, she probably won't care," his tone was like that of a smooth drawl, uncaring, but willing to do as he was asked. "Until next week, Tezuka."

The man finished setting the last apple in the basket, but didn't turn in their direction. The two walked back out onto the back porch and Hawk wasn't sure if he heard the quiet, "_Until then, Shikamaru._"

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"Hokage-sama!"

Barely anyone paid any mind to the blonde who was running through the halls of the Hokage Tower, eyes wide as if he had seen the most terrifying thing in his life. To the ninja who worked there, it was a common occurrence when their leader—known, perhaps ironically, as the strongest ninja in Konoha—was trying to sneak off into the village, but his assistant wanted him to work. To some, it was amusing to see the great Hokage ruin in fear of his rather petite, but strong-willed young assistant, Moegi. To Uzumaki Naruto, it was a daily reminder of the worst decision of his life.

_I should have KNOWN that Sakura would get to her!_ He berated himself once more as he ducked down another corridor and into a room filled with books, blank scrolls, and other stationary and literacy items. A study. She would never look for him here. With a small smirk on his face, he quietly shut the door behind him and hurried over to the window.

Opening it as wide as he could, he realized that it was rather small, but still big enough for him to squeeze through-and he did literally mean _squeeze_. Naruto let out a weary sigh. _The things I go through to get a ramen break,_ he thought. Pushing himself through the window head first, arms out before him so he could channel chakra and hold onto the outside wall. It was slightly harder to fit the rest of his upper body through the rectangular opening, particularly due to his broad chest that was getting stuck. _Stupid body…won't fit…_he thought in frustration, pulling with his arms and using chakra to force it. He knew that if he didn't manage to get out soon, someone would recognize his charka signature and his attempt would be ruined.

After a few more moments of desperate struggling, he was able to force himself completely out the window and got to his feet, still sticking to the side of the building as he quickly scaled down the wall. He jumped when he neared ten feet from the ground and landed in a smooth, although not very graceful, manner. Standing up, he patted himself down, shaking the dirt and dust from his clothes and gave a quick look around. He had exited at the back of the building, which meant that less people would be watching, and of those that were, none would actually squeal on him. That meant he had only so much time before Moegi realized he was out of the building and hunted him down at Ichiraku. _I have to move fast._

With a sigh of relief, Naruto walked down the nearest alley and then down another, using the back ways to make his way as quickly and as unnoticeable as possible. Once he reached the alley just behind the ramen stand, he knew he was in the clear so he stepped around and pulled back the waist high curtain…

Only to get a fist to the face.

The shock and unexpectedness threw him backwards, but he knew it lacked the power behind it that could have been there, so it was not hard to catch himself.

"Sakura!" he cried out, clutching his abused cheek. "Why did you do that?!"

"That's what you get for making poor Moegi chase you around all day just to get you to do your JOB!" she raised a fist as if threatening to hit him again. "Need I remind you that it is a job that you have been _insisting_ you would get since you were five?"

"But I need my ramen!" He told her, eyes wobbling with the tears of a crocodile. "I changed my diet like you told me to, I do finish my work all of the—well _most_ of the time—and I just spent three days putting up with annoying nobles from Mountain Country! All I ask is to be able to have ONE hour, just _ONE_ hour, to eat as much ramen as I want at Ichiraku. Is that so hard to ask?"

It was the eyes. He knew that it was his eyes that did her in. Over the years he had become very adept at knowing which empathies of Sakura to appeal to. Sometimes she caught on and tried to beat him to a bloody pulp, but usually he was able to garner reluctant agreement. Of course, Sakura didn't see it as giving in and if he were ever to tell her so, a fist to the face would be more akin to being flicked on the nose by your elderly aunt-although only if said elderly aunt wasn't Tsunade or Sakura as a flick on the nose from them was likely to break said nose and throw you back a few kilometers.

Sakura was purposefully not looking at him. This always meant that she didn't want to give in. _I guess I'll have to work harder,_ Naruto decided.

"_Please_, Sakura," he begged, eyes widening with what appeared to be tears and desperation. "I just want to eat some ramen."

And she was his.

"All right," she sighed, "but only an hour here. After that you have to get back to work."

"Yes, Sakura-chan!" he grinned, "Why don't you join me?" He took her arm and led her back into the ramen stand.

She gave a brief shrug. "I was coming to see you anyway," she replied. "That's how I found out that you ran out on poor Moegi." With that she gave him a cutting stare.

"I needed to get away for a while," he told her. "I know 'Baa-chan got more breaks than I do. Shizune's got nothing on Moegi."

"That's because she has a more idolized vision of the Hokage than you do," Sakura stated. "You filled her head with all that stuff about how great a Hokage you would be as a kid, and now she's making sure you follow through."

"Hey! That was Konohamaru!" Naruto retorted. "I filled _his_ head and he did it to Moegi and Udon." He then turned to the young woman, Ayame, who had taken over running the Ichiraku when her father became to elderly to do it himself. "Ayame-nee-chan, how about two orders of miso?"

"Coming right up, Hokage-sama," she gave him a wink and immediately went to task. She called him by his title no matter what, even though he had often told her not to. Perhaps she did it on purpose. Scratch that. He _knew_ she did it on purpose.

Unlike his younger self, who would have drooled in impatience while waiting for his food to be ready, Naruto didn't even bother to watch the ramen-making process and instead turned his attention to Sakura, once more. "Why were you looking for me?" he asked.

Again, she shrugged. "It's my day off," she explained. Of course, Naruto then understood. Lee had just left on a mission two days ago and Lin had been gone for two weeks. Sakura always showed up when the house was 'empty'. It wasn't like they didn't spend time together otherwise, but when she was alone—with no work or family to occupy her—Sakura always flocked to Naruto for companionship. It was something they had done for almost fifteen years. Routine born of not just being cell mates, but also from their shared loss.

_Sasuke_…

The name, and its owner, was a part of his thoughts more often than not. It had been nearly seventeen years since his defection and thirteen since he completely disappeared. No one knew what became of him after the reports that he had escaped from Orochimaru. He had simply faded into the background and was rarely talked about, let alone searched for. Naruto always hoped that since the death of Itachi, Sasuke had gone somewhere to live peacefully, move on with his life. He tried not to acknowledge the pangs in his chest that Sasuke was moving on without them…without _him_.

"Naruto," Sakura's voice pulled him from his musings. He shook the thoughts form his mind and grinned his same, wide smile he was so known for—well, not including the orange clothing and ramen obsession.

"Guess what?" he told her with a wink. "I just got a report from Konohamaru the day before yesterday. They're done early and should be back tomorrow."

The pink-haired woman's eyes widened before she herself gave an elegant smile that was filled with relief. "Really? That's great. I'll have to prepare a good meal for Lin. Perhaps I should invite her entire team to dinner—except that brat Konohamaru."

"Damn Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed. "So the kid called you ugly and stuff a few times. He was like nine!"

"He's also a bigger pervert than Kakashi who likes to try and corrupt young children by teaching them Sexy no Jutsu. I wonder where he learned _that_ from?"

Naruto gave weak laugh, hand running through his shoulder-length hair embarrassedly. For a moment, he reminded himself that he needed to get it cut. It was starting to get too long. "Well Sakura-chan…" Naruto smirked. "You never know when a kid might need a better disguise than just henge."

"Then perhaps it's best that I teach Lin the Reverse Sexy no Jutsu." By the look in her eyes, Naruto couldn't tell if she was serious or not.

"No!" he shook his head. "You promised never to reveal that jutsu after Ino tried to hit on you!"

"Well, a better disguise would be for to act like a boy, not a girl with huge breasts no brains."

Naruto didn't know whether to laugh or feel insulted. The Reverse Sexy no Jutsu was a technique the two had come upon completely by accident while doing an undercover mission in Grass Country. Naruto had been parading about as a flamboyant, air-headed young waitress and Sakura had been keeping a low profile. She had finally gotten fed up with hiding around while Naruto did all of the work and told their mission leader that she wanted to participate more. Said leader had told her that henge wasn't enough, because the mission required being in close quarters with people, most of whom were ninja. Henge was a disguise than any chuunin or higher level ninja could see through. That was when she told Naruto to teach her Sexy no Jutsu.

It had only taken a week for her to get down the technique, but Naruto had boasted to teaching Konohamaru in just one day. And Sakura, being Sakura, did not take well to the not-really-criticism. In her anger, she done the hand signals too fast and mixed one up, therefore not transforming into a big-breasted girl, but a tall, well-built—and rather _well-endowed_—young man. Of course their mission leader had found the entire predicament hilarious. If he had been any slower, Kakashi would have dealt with a male version of the _freakily_ strong Sakura's fist.

After realizing exactly where and how she had screwed up the jutsu, Sakura had actually used the new technique for the mission and once they had returned to Konoha. She was fascinated by how no one had recognized her-not even Kiba and Akamaru, seeing as Sexy no Jutsu actually changed your physical make-up and therefore your scent. It was only after she had walked into the Yamanaka Flower Shop and been promptly 'molested' by her other best friend, Ino, that she swore never to use it again. She had not needed to know that Ino found exotic hair colors sexy.

"How has Lin been doing anyway?" Naruto tried to change the subject just as their meals were served. "I haven't been over in a while so I haven't gotten to see how she and her team have been doing."

"From what she says," the woman replied, "wonderfully, although she uses more descriptive words for it." Shaking her head, "She's starting to act more like Lee everyday."

"Hey," Naruto laughed; his mouth filled of noodles. He swallowed his mouthful and wrapped a hand around her shoulders. "She took after you in all the ways that count." Now, he wasn't sure if that was exactly true, but Lin did take after her mother quite a bit. While she had her father's dark hair, she had her mother's eyes, physical build-meaning no bushy eyebrows, and talent with genjutsu. Her prowess in taijutsu was only due to the training she insisted she take with her father from the time she had learned how to walk. Lin was most definitely a daddy's girl. To her, Lee walked on water, even though he didn't have chakra.

Sakura smiled at him. "Lin and Lee have more in common," she said. "But that doesn't matter, as Lee pretty much worships her and gives her whatever she wants. I'm glad she's not a rotten brat by now."

"And what about her team?" Naruto asked. "From the reports, they're working well together, but you probably see more of them than I have." Actually, he had only seen Konohamaru's team together twice. While he might be Naruto's second-in-command, Konohamaru was rather enigmatic when it came to his team. If someone saw them together on the street, he or she wouldn't realize it, but Konohamaru took his role as leader of his team very seriously. And that was why he knew he had made the right decision in forcing him to become an instructor that year.

"Actually, I don't see her team together all that often either," Sakura replied. "Hikoshi is around to train with Lin, but her other teammate is the very solitary type. Lin says that he doesn't stay around long after finishing a mission or training session."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Who is he?"

"What?" Sakura stared at him. "You mean you don't even remember who you put on which team?!"

"Hey!" he looked affronted. "It's hard to remember EVERY team after doing this for so long! I bet Sandaime couldn't do it!"

"You would think that you would remember who you put on MY daughter's team," she huffed. "Mizono Saigo."

"Oh, is he a nice kid?" Naruto asked. "I can't seem to recall much about him."

The pink-haired woman nodded, "Very kind and polite, but he just doesn't try to spend time with them outside of their 'work'. He says that he needs to get home and just leaves."

Naruto shook his head. "Strict parents?"

"Wouldn't know," Sakura shrugged. "I've never met his father, who seems to be his only parent, because I've never heard him talk about his mother. And even then, he doesn't say much." Sakura cupped her chin with her hand in contemplation. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen his father, even at Parent days at the academy. He must not be a ninja."

Naruto was finishing off his bowl of ramen, sipping down the last of the broth with a smacking noise. "Don't worry about it," he replied. "Some people don't like mixing work and fun. He'll come around eventually. You can't spend so much time with Lin and _not_ loosen up a bit. It might take a while, though. It took Lee _years_ to get to Neji."

Sakura smiled at his optimism. She still couldn't help but think that something should be done _soon._ Long hair and blue eyes aside, Saigo reminded her so much of-

"He just seems like he should be a rather lonely boy," she said, not willing to let her mind turn down that road.

"Should be?" Now Naruto was officially confused.

"He doesn't try to socialize with his teammates, refuses any offers I give him to visit, and yet he doesn't seem lonely at all," she explained.

The more Sakura talked about the odd teammate of her daughter's the more curious Naruto became. One thing he had never lost throughout his years was his insatiable curiosity, although it had been significantly subdued by his Hokage responsibilities. But now here was something that he could sink his teeth into, a mystery genin who seemed to have family, yet no one had ever seen his parents, and antisocial behavior that contradicted with his content demeanor. _Damn Sakura…_ he thought. _Now I'm going to go crazy thinking this over._

"I'm just worried, I guess," Sakura finally admitted. "He seems like such a nice boy."

The blonde stared at her, wondering just how to alleviate her motherly concern. Of course he couldn't just go up to the boy and ask him how he was-

And suddenly he knew what he _could_ do.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," he winked at her. "I've got everything figured out."

Sakura blinked, unsure whether or not she should be concerned by his words. Instead she decided to simply ride out her best friend's plot. It's not like there was anything people could do to stop him. He always had been the Number One Unpredictable Ninja.

"Good," she told him. "Because your hour is up. Time to go back to work."

Naruto jumped up, eyes wide. "WHAT?" he exclaimed. "But I only got one bowl of ramen! And you _didn't even eat yours_! YOU WASTED RAMEN! HEARTLESS!" There were even tears in his eyes.

Sakura blinked at him again. And then she started laughing so hard that she almost fell off of her stool.

_Don't ever change Naruto…_

* * *

**I would really like some feedback when it comes to the conversation between Naruto and Sakura. I tried to keep them in character as possible and yet still show that they were now adults. Did it work?**


	3. Part 3

**Oh my, what is this? Another update? So quickly? Yeah, I'm pretty much just posting a new part each day until I run out, which will be shortly since I'm not done with Part6 yet.**

**Title: Kekka to Ikenie (_Consequence and Sacrifice_)  
Author: S.P. Kathrine  
Fandom: Naruto  
Rating: R-NC17 (M-MA)  
Warnings: AU, BL (boyxboy), lack of uke/seme distinctions, violence, language, lack of well-written fight scenes, unbetaed (Does reading it over three times count?), Possibly OOC-ness, OC (important, but not main character of story)  
Part: 2 of undetermined  
Pairings: NaruSasuNaru (little-to-no uke / seme-ness), LeeSaku, HinaNeji (Hyuugacest), and others  
Summary: Mizono Saigo was always considered somewhat of a mystery by the people who know him, or of him. He was a considered one of the top students in the Ninja Academy, but was also a rather normal, if more-than-somewhat antisocial child. The true mystery was the father who no one saw, no one spoke to, who no one could even confirm existed. So when Saigo suddenly develops a bloodline trait that none could expect, a secret kept for over a decade comes to light, even though the former Hokage had forbidden anyone knowing of it to ever speak of it, even to her replacement. And the truth about Saigo's father is revealed. AU story because of changes made to canon plot.  
Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.**

**Part Three**

They had just reentered the village-it was around three in the afternoon-and Lin was hurrying ahead of them as usual. "Hurry up!" she yelled out to them. "Time waits for no one!"

"Lin-chan!" Konohamaru-sensei called back to her. "The mission is over! You can go home! I just have to take the report to the Hokage!" And with a 'pop' and poof of smoke, he was gone.

"Alright!" she exclaimed. "Come Hikoshi-kun! Saigo-kun! My mother will gladly prepare us a fortifying meal that will rejuvenate our weary bodies!"

"I must return home first," Hikoshi told her. "My parents will wish to see me first."

Lin's energy seemed to drain at his words and Saigo noticed that Hikoshi's left eye twitched almost imperceptibly. So he wasn't completely impervious to her.

"Perhaps afterwards I will join you in your home," he suggested, although it was not done in an appeasing manner. "My mother should not mind."

"Yosh!" And it seemed like nothing had changed. She turned to Saigo, awaiting his answer, knowing what it would be but always hoping for the opposite.

The dark-haired boy shook his head. "No thank you, Lin," he said. "I really need to get back home. Thank you for the invitation, but I have to decline."

"All right," she smiled at him, unfazed by his habitual refusal. "I bet your dad missed you too! You should hurry and rekindle your strong father/son bond! You can join us another day!"

"Goodbye," Saigo told his cellmates before hurrying off down the street. He took turns and side roads that most ignored and then followed the outer wall of Konoha to a rather deserted area of the village. As he hurried along he saw coming up in front of him the same gate that he always passed on his journey home, two large wooden doors with an almost completely faded circle of indecipherable colors painted over them. The area was deserted; no one could even enter because the doors were bolted shut with a large chakra-enhanced chain. To break it would not only be difficult, but would also alert the Hokage Tower of the intruder.

Saigo didn't pay much mind to the closed section of Konoha. At times he had pondered what was behind it, and rumors around the Academy generally stated that the gates kept the ghosts of a slaughtered clan locked inside the area. Of course, Saigo didn't believe in ghosts, but he still was more respectful to the thought of hundreds of massacred people. And so while he did not pay much mind to the mystery behind the chipped doors, he still slowed down and walked past them with reverence every time.

But once he was passed them, he immediately picked up his speed and hurried farther down the dirt road to his home. Turning the next corner, he saw the doorway in the wall at the very end where the two edges met on the right side. The door led to the backyard of his home, which was a part of the forest within the village. He never went through the front door, as it was on a not-often-traveled, but still used, road. His father had made him swear never to do so and he somewhat understood why.

While he would deny it to anyone else, he knew that his father had once been a ninja. Why else would ANBU visit him so often? He knew that his father had a long term contract with the Hokage to bring groceries every while because his father didn't want to go through the trouble of leaving the house himself. But that did not explain the ANBU being the ones to bring the food, or the closed conversations they had when his father would tell Saigo to go into the backyard. Saigo never listened in on these secret meetings, as he knew his father would know and would be disappointed. He wouldn't be angry. His father never got angry. The disappointment was enough.

He tried to not think about it, to simply abide by his father's commands and not dig any further. But the curiosity could get so strong at times that he didn't know what to do with himself. Ever since he was a child, he had known that there was something secret, private about their lives that no one else was supposed to know. That was why his father never went beyond the thick walls surrounding the back of their home. Perhaps it also had something to do with his father losing his eyesight. He couldn't remember very well what his father had been like without the disability, seeing as he had been partially blind in his left eye when Saigo was four and lost his sight in both eyes completely seven months after he had entered the Academy when he was eight.

A person would not know it if they did not _know it_. His father was graceful, smooth, and moved as if he had eyes all around him. He kept his eyes closed at all times, at least that Saigo knew of. It was not that he was trying to hide his condition. No, he couldn't care less if anyone knew. His father was not the type of person to care about something he considered a 'petty technicality'.

When his father had lost his sight completely, his eyes had changed. The black irises had gradually faded into a murky dark gray, like a shirt that had been worn and washed too many times without the proper care. When Saigo had come downstairs for breakfast and found his father setting breakfast on the table he had been shocked by his father's eyes and freaked out unintentionally. He had been young and still partially asleep. But after that his father kept his eyes hidden behind pale lids, never revealing them in Saigo's presence. Perhaps he didn't even have eyes anymore; they had rotted away within their sockets.

_That's stupid,_ he thought as he entered the backdoor of his home and shut it tightly behind him. _Of course he has eyes._

" 'Tou-san!" Saigo called out, looking about the kitchen and into the living room beyond it. "I'm home!"

There was no reply.

But there was a neatly wrapped bento left on the kitchen table in the same place it always was, but on top of it was a folded slip of paper. He lifted the paper and opened it, revealing the handwriting he knew undoubtedly was his father's. For whatever reason, handwriting was never something his father had sought to improve since his blindness. His words were legible, but always slanted to the right.

'_Gone. I will return by this evening._'

This confused Saigo. While it was not unusual for his father to disappear-_always_ with ANBU escort-it was always in the morning or late at night. By the feel of the bento, it was not cold enough to have been sitting long, only a half-hour at the most. What was so important that he had to leave in the middle of the day?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

He hadn't realized when Hawk had told him about the new medic-nin that he would be expected to meet with the woman so soon. He had just finished preparing a bento for Saigo when the two ANBU had arrived; an oddity in itself, seeing as they never showed up two days in a row. He had written a short note to his son, put on his shoes, only then felt a hand touch his shoulder and the sudden pull that signaled a transportation jutsu.

They were in a room. A lit room, because he could feel the heat of the overhead light. It was a familiar place, the same room that he was always taken to. There were other people in the room as well, just two. And from the feel of the familiar chakra, he recognized both.

"Godaime-sama," he gave a small bow of acknowledgement. "Shizune-san."

"You were informed of why you were called here?" The former Hokage's voice was cool, and collected, as she always was when dealing with him in anyway. While he knew that she continued to use her age-disguising jutsu-just by the feel of her chakra-her voice was what belied her years.

"Yes," he said. "You have found another medic-nin that you believe could assist you in your research."

"And you will abide by the oath you swore?"

The oath. It had been made in desperation, but he had understood all of the rules and restrictions at the same time. He understood what it would cost him. But he also understood what it would give him in return. And so he had agreed. Because even though he had no other option, it was also the best one that he would ever get.

"Yes, I swear to abide by the oath," he repeated the same words he spoke each time she asked that question.

"Then sit," Tsunade told him, and he was led by who he knew to be Hawk-who seemed strangely tense-to a comfortable wooden chair. He sat down and placed his hands on his knees, waiting. Hawk and Wolf stepped directly in front of him as if blocking his vision. _Which is pointless_. There must have been another reason for it.

"Bring her in."

"Fine," Shizune's heels clicked across the floor as she walked away from Tezuka in a slight diagonal direction. There was the metallic sound of a knob turning, lock unfastening, and then the creak of a door being opened. "You may enter now."

More footsteps. These were considerably lighter and almost soundless. Tsunade was moving. "You know that anything seen or discussed in this room is confidential and shall never to be spoken of unless it is inside these walls with expressed permission, even should you decide not to take on this task?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

_That voice._ It seemed familiar, although different at the same time, and the chakra of the person was familiar as well. Perhaps given more time he would be able to recognize it.

"I have asked you here because of your expertise in the in the field of ophthalmology," Tsunade explained, which it was probably for Tezuka's benefit. "You are by far the best in Konoha and I'm not one to give out mere flattery."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I agreed to this and will strive to do my best."

That voice. It was soft, with discreet inflection meant to show deference rather than arrogance or meekness. If was indeed familiar, as if he had heard it before but never enough to cement it into his mind. Like a song that had only been played once, only to be recited years later. This meant that he should know this person.

"Then may I introduce you to my patient?"

Hawk and Wolf moved aside. He turned his head in the direction of the newcomer and was greeted her moving towards him.

"Pleased to meet you," she said. "I am Hyuuga Hinata."

_Hyuuga? Hinata?_ Tezuka was thrown off by the name. It seemed impossible. _Time changes all, doesn't it?_

He pushed away the long hair that shielded his face from her view-he had not had the time to pull it up before departing his home, tucking it behind his ear. He tilted his up, as she was closer now, and opened his eyes, though there was nothing to see.

The footsteps stopped, and a small gasp of surprise was heard. "Wh-What?" Hinata stuttered, which made her voice sounded much more like it had as a child. She recognized him. It was obvious, as he had not changed much facially, or had not changed four years ago when he had last seen himself clearly in a mirror.

"U-Uchiha Sasuke…" she forced out, shocked by his presence.

"Tezuka," he corrected. "The Uchiha Clan is dead. There are none left."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hinata couldn't believe it. Sitting before her was a man considered all but dead by so many people. A man that had ruined lives without knowledge, or rather indifference. It was almost too much for her. She wanted to leave, to run to Naruto and tell him that Sasuke was alive…alive and _in_ Konoha. Because she knew that Naruto knew nothing about this.

_How…?_ She wondered. _How could they keep something like this from the Hokage? How long has Tsunade-sama been keeping this a secret? _Obviously she expected to go on keeping it a secret and for Hinata to do the same. Even from Naruto-kun and Sakura.

Nothing was said as she inspected the man sitting in the chair a few steps away, taking in all of the familiar features. Age had not taken the Uchiha's attractiveness, although with his longer hair it gave him a more effeminate look. Sasuke had grown to look more like his mother than father. She recalled-if somewhat vaguely-meeting both of them once, during a festival when they had crossed paths. A rather ironic place, as neither family leader was known for going to them. But her mother had remained home to take care of then-newborn Hanabi and so it had been her father who had unexpectedly agreed to escort her. The event had been the first that her father had done so, which was why it stood out in her memory after so many years. It was also only months later that her mother would become ill.

It had been her first sighting of the head Uchiha family and her father had stopped to give a very formal and polite greeting. Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto had both done the same, although she remembered feeling comfortable when watching Uchiha Mikoto, while frightened of the grim, pinched face of Uchiha Fugaku. She smiled kindly and it seemed as if her greeting was directed more towards herself than her father. Sasuke had bowed and greeted her as well, but his brother did not pay her much mind at all. He gave her an acknowledging nod after greeting her father and then politely removed himself by directing Sasuke to another booth.

Thinking back to the kind black eyes and the small, genuine smile, Hinata could see only similar genetics, but no real parallelism between Uchiha Sasuke and his mother. His eyes were blank and no smile adorned his lips. Not even that smirk or frown that he had bore so often in their youth. She did not believe that even her Byakugan could read him now-if that had ever been possible. But nothing could take away the fact that this was indeed Uchiha Sasuke.

Another question struck her. _But why would he need an-_? She stared straight into eyes from which she would have once shied away, eyes that were looking directly back at her. Yet something seemed off. His eyes, however directly they seemed fixed on her, were actually slightly off, as if he as staring at the top of her head. Why wouldn't he look her in the eyes?

It was then that Hinata allowed herself to look closer, more severely. The room was dimly lit, and therefore she could not see clearly, unless she decided to use her Byakugan. Just as she was about to request that the other lights be turned on, the room was filled with bright luminance. Shizune seemed to have read her mind. But just as she looked back at the man who had once been a fellow Leaf ninja, she saw exactly why Tsunade-sama had gambled on her cooperation.

"You're blind," she stated, words blunt, but tone filled with shock. His eyes were not the black she had assumed from memory, but a murky, unfocused gray. The reason that they seemed so blank was because they took in nothing and so revealed nothing.

"Yes," the man said.

He did not explain how his circumstances came to be, but it seemed that Tsunade-sama was willing to step in at the moment. "The situation will be explained more if you agree to take on the task of helping to restore his sight," she told the raven-haired woman.

"With all due respect, Godaime-sama," she replied. "I cannot make that choice with so little explanation. That is too much to ask of any medic-nin. Besides, I have already sworn an oath of total silence, so nothing you tell me shall be repeated in anyway."

At her words, the former Hokage gave a wry grin. "Very well," she nodded. "Tezuka-san lost his sight due to a seal that cannot be removed. Instead, we are trying to find a way to circumvent the seal to repair his vision."

"A seal?" she repeated. "I have never heard of a seal that could steal someone's sight"

Blue eyes shifted so very slightly, a sign that something was still being hidden. "It was an unexpected side effect," was the response she received. "But you were requested because of your expertise with chakra-related eye treatments and injuries."

"But you said it was caused by a seal? Does the seal affect his chakra as well?"

"That was the main objective of the seal," Tsunade said. "It seems that his particular chakra and…genetics conflicted with it, but it cannot be removed."

Hinata noticed the way she stressed 'cannot' as if it was more of a '_could not_' or '_will not_'. She was almost tempted to ask 'how' he had gotten the seal, although she knew that it was too much to ask when she had not even agreed. But there was perhaps one thing that she _could_ request.

"May I speak with U-the patient, alone for a moment?"

Tsunade gave another smile. "I figured that you want that," she motioned her head to a door to her left. "You have fifteen minutes, and the ANBU will stay at the door."

"Thank you very much, Godaime-sama," she bowed in thanks and watched as the man stood and mood around the two ANBU members in the direction that Tsunade had indicated.

_He knows his way around this room well,_ she thought. _Perhaps he's been in here often._ The Hyuuga Clan Heir followed after him, entering first as he moved aside after opening the door. As she walked past him, Hinata allowed herself to look him over more closely. He was tall, probably just as tall as Neji and Naruto-whose growth spurts seemed to have all combined into one quick, huge burst late in his teen years. Once more, his eyes were trained on the top of her head.

_Should I take it as a compliment that he thinks I'm taller?_ She wondered, unsure exactly how she felt or how she should feel. Years ago she might have stuttered and already have asked to be relieved of this particular assignment, due to conflicting interests. She would like to believe that she would maintain enough impartiality to help anyone within reason-as was her code as a medical ninja-but she could not say it definitively had the near loss of her cousin and teammates still been so close. Now, the acts of one Uchiha Sasuke were far removed from her current life and it was not her place to act on the behalf of those they still did concern.

_It all depends on these fifteen minutes._

The light came on inside the room, which was much smaller than the one it connected to, and therefore more brightly lit from a smaller amount of lighting. Inside there was a small, square table with three chairs around it. They stepped into the room and the door was shut behind them. Hinata took a seat and watched as the last Uchiha moved to the seat across from her with graceful, but purposeful steps. He obviously knew his way, and yet was also prepared should anything be out of place.

There were also other notable changes in the older man. Granted, she had seen very little of the Uchiha after their graduation from the Academy, but she did not remember his body language being so…open before. What she recalled of the younger Sasuke was a boy who hid much of his own insecurities and true feelings behind a wall of arrogance and bitterness. He made himself unapproachable. This was the same boy turned man, but fully displayed while being locked away at the same time. He had nothing to hide, so he didn't even try, and yet he still kept himself held back within his self-erected cage, untouchable.

He sat before her, hands folded nobly in his lap and eyes staring forward to the place his thought her eyes should be. Should she correct his assumption? Was it even important? What question should she ask first? Was there one question more important than any other? Would he answer any of them? What questions was he not allowed to answer? She decided to use the first one that came to mind.

"How long have you been in Konoha?"

"Twelve years, seven months, eighteen days, five hours, thirty-seven minutes."

His answer was spoken with such blankness and so pinpoint that she didn't know how to proceed. Was he truly able to tell time so accurately even though he was blind? Or was he simply guessing to be cocky? She dismissed that notion, as the cockiness of the past did not seem to have been maintained by this Uchiha Sasuke. She sensed no dishonesty in his tone. It didn't seem that he was going to bother with deception. At this point in time it would be rather inane.

"Why did you return?"

"That is something I cannot divulge," he replied. "Ask Godaime-sama."

"Are you considered a free citizen?"

"No."

"When did you begin to lose your sight?"

"In which eye?"

"Either one."

"I began losing sight first in my left eye eleven years ago and in my right eye eight years ago."

"So this happened after you came to Konoha?"

"Yes."

"When did you lose your sight completely?"

"Five years, eight months, thirteen days, ten hours, ten minutes."

This time, his response only caused her to furrow her brow in thought. So far all she knew was the he began losing his sight after he returned to the village, as a side effect to a seal and had been in the village for twelve years-almost thirteen.

"I take it the seal is not the reason why you returned, or else there wouldn't be a problem with you saying it."

The Uchiha did not bother to reply and she knew that was an affirmative on its own. It was easier to speak to him clinically, as if he was no more than a patient. But she didn't know if she could keep up such neutrality for an extended period of time. She was learning nothing. She would have to ask more definitive questions, ones that he could not reply to so simply.

"Was there a reason why the village was not notified of your return?"

"Yes."

"One that you cannot say?"

"Yes."

"Was it worth it?"

Though he already sat back straight and eyes trained to where he thought hers should be, his body did stiffen slightly at her words.

"I do not understand your question."

"Was everything worth the prices were paid?" she asked. "Betraying the village, hurting so many people"-she didn't bother to mention his former team specifically-"but only to lose your sight and never have the chance to fulfill the 'dreams' you threw everything away for. Was it all worth it?"

* * *

**Yeah, cliffy, but that was the best place to cut it off without it getting way too long. Okay, I mentioned I could THINK like Hinata, but that doesn't mean I can write her properly, so please give some comments on whether you think I might have changed her personality too much or not. But the next chapter is almost done so you won't have to wait too long for it.**


	4. Part 4

**Little later than I planned, but just got back in for the night. EXTRA WARNING: There is one part where Sasuke might be considered OOC, and I would REALLY appreciate some comments on it. I can't improve my writing without them.**

**Title: Kekka to Ikenie (_Consequence and Sacrifice)_  
Author: S.P. Kathrine  
Fandom: Naruto  
Rating: R-NC17 (M-MA)  
Warnings: AU, BL (boyxboy), lack of uke/seme distinctions, violence, language, lack of well-written fight scenes, unbetaed (Does reading it over three times count?), Possibly OOC-ness, OC (important, but not main character of story)  
Part: 4 of undetermined  
Pairings: NaruSasuNaru (little-to-no uke / seme-ness), LeeSaku, HinaNeji (Hyuugacest), and others  
Summary: Mizono Saigo was always considered somewhat of a mystery by the people who know him, or of him. He was a considered one of the top students in the Ninja Academy, but was also a rather normal, if more-than-somewhat antisocial child. The true mystery was the father who no one saw, no one spoke to, who no one could even confirm existed. So when Saigo suddenly develops a bloodline trait that none could expect, a secret kept for over a decade comes to light, even though the former Hokage had forbidden anyone knowing of it to ever speak of it, even to her replacement. And the truth about Saigo's father is revealed. AU story because of changes made to canon plot.**

**Disclaimer: No own.**

**Part Four**

"**_Was everything worth the prices that were paid?" she asked. "Betraying the village, hurting so many people"-she didn't bother to mention his former team specifically-"but only to lose your sight and never have the chance to fulfill the 'dreams' you threw everything away for. Was it all worth it?"_**

"Yes."

Of course, Hinata hadn't expected him to say 'no', but she had not expected such brutal honesty either. He meant what he said. "Why?" she wanted to know.

"While all choices can lead to mistakes and most lead to hurting one person or another, the outcome can still give them meaning."

"So the ends justify the means?"

"Rather the ends make the means meaningless."

His words were enigmatic at best, but for some reason it was as if she understood them all the same. She thought of her son and how upset she had been when the decision that she would be married had been made. And to Neji of all people. It was not unheard of within the Hyuuga Clan for a Main Family member to marry a Branch member, if only to create a more cemented reason to protect the Main Family. What honorable person would not protect their spouse and children with their lives? But one of the true reasons that the Elders had proposed the union was simply genetics.

Neji was a prodigy quickly rising in the ninja ranks while Hinata was gaining esteem as an astounding medic-nin. Together their children were seen to be the very _future_ of the clan. There had been talk of waiting until Hanabi was of age, but their father had stepped in and given her the choice. Hinata had chosen herself over Hanabi. She could not do that to either her sister or her cousin. Hanabi, while she would always care for her, was too steeped in the traditions of the family and would accept the command of marrying Neji, but inwardly resent it and possibly any children that came from their union. She would see it as a dishonor to marry a 'Branch Family member'. And she could never force Neji into marrying someone who thought so little of him and would most likely treat him as a servant rather than a life-partner. There would be only duty between them and no common ground or affection.

So she had chosen herself, after a month of conflict. Kiba refused to speak with her during most of it, because while he would accept whatever decision she made, it came down to her choosing her budding relationship with him, over the happiness of her sister and cousin. Now that she thought back, she was glad that they had kept their relationship so platonic for so long. She did not know if their friendship could have withstood her choice—for she still would have made the same one—had they gotten farther than blushing smiles and holding hands. In the end, it had hurt him and she and Neji had been wed.

She had become pregnant early on after the wedding and it was in the months preceding Hikoshi's birth that things began to change between herself and her cousin. The polite acknowledgement he had come to treat her with transformed into affection and comfortable companionship. She could not say how everything had changed, but the day that she held her son in her arms she had gazed up to see a look on her husband's face that had never been there before. And then as they looked at one another she had realized that everything was different, but not in a bad way.

The memories that his words brought back left her feeling a strange weight in her chest. She looked him over and would have thought to see contemplative, farseeing look in his eyes, had they not been so empty and distant already.

_What made it all worth it for you?_ She wondered. _You didn't kill your brother, although he is dead, you didn't kill Orochimaru, you betrayed everyone who cared for you… And yet you say it was all worth it._

What could she say to him now? That he was wrong? Remind him about everything he had thrown away in his obsessive reach for power? Would it matter? She didn't know how to continue and there were less than five minutes left. He was still staring forward towards her and she was riddled with unease by the consistency of his gaze, even though he was not even directly staring at her. _I haven't felt this indecisive since Hikoshi was born,_ she thought. Perhaps the events of That Day were not as long gone as she would like herself to believe if there was so much indecision in her choices now.

"Do you have any other questions?" he inquired. "There is less than two minutes left."

Though somewhat rattled by his intrusion into her inner battle, she kept herself composed. "If you had the chance-"

"No." He spoke before she could even complete her question and as with everything he had said, it was brutally honest. Hinata did not question whether the answer was to her actual question, or simply to what he assumed to be it. What she had been about to ask was rather obvious.

Here was a man who had suffered—whether by the hands of others or his own choices—and yet she could almost feel the conviction in which he stood by every decision he had ever made. There was no regret, no guilt, nor wistful nostalgia. He simply accepted the way his life had turned out willingly and without complaint. Once again, she was taken back to the boy she remembered from the Academy and the brief meetings afterwards. Silent, arrogant, brooding, angry, and vengeful. Those five words summed up Uchiha Sasuke. This man was not that same boy; he might as well have been a different person altogether. The longer she remained in his presence, the less she recognized in him.

"Thank you for speaking with me, Tezuka-san." Hinata stood and moved to the door, knocking on it to signal that they were finished.

When it was opened Hawk poked his head in to look at her. Hinata didn't know how to react to Shikamaru's part in all of this, but she realized there was no point in feeling betrayal. Before her retirement, he had been the right hand of the Godaime and was privy to pretty much every secret she kept. It was improbable that he had known of it from the beginning, but then he never would have spoken of it anyway. He was bound by the same oath as she.

"Sure you're done? You still have thirty seconds."

"Yes," she nodded. "I have made my decision."

"Oh?" He stepped back allowing both her and the other occupant of the room to exit. Tsunade was sitting in the chair that had once been occupied by Tezuka, looking somewhat bored. The jutsu she used still kept her looking youthful, although Hinata knew that the former Hokage would only be able to maintain it for another year at best. In her late sixties, Tsunade was finally beginning to 'age'.

Like her teacher Sandaime, that should not have made her significantly weaker, but her chakra levels had suddenly began getting lower faster than expected about three years earlier and soon she would not be able to hold a jutsu on a constant basis, as her 'age disguising' jutsu required. A year was being overly optimistic. It was almost as if the Godaime's body was suddenly beginning to give out on her. Perhaps that was why she had sought out the assistance of Hinata. Who else would be able to perform whatever procedure might be needed without bringing in Sakura, who obviously was not allowed to know of Sa—no, _Tezuka's_ residence in Konoha?

She came to stand before the former Hokage and bowed. "I have made my decision, Godaime-sama," she replied. "I have chosen to take on this patient as you have asked me and do what I can to return his vision."

"Very well," Tsunade nodded and then took to her feet. "Thank you for your assistance in this, Hinata. A message shall be sent to you when it is time to meet again."

Hinata bowed to her and saw Shikamaru moving forward, laying a hand on Tezuka's shoulder. With a flicker of hand movement and puff of smoke, Shikamaru, Tezuka, and the second ANBU that had been guarding the blind man were gone.

"Tsunade-sama," Hinata spoke up. "Why did we not simply continue with the testing now? Would it not be best to find a solution as immediately as possible?"

"Tezuka-san has a prior engagement," was all she said and Hinata did not ask for anymore. It was obvious that many things about the man were still shrouded in mystery and she would only learn what was needed for her to know.

"Shouldn't your son be returning today?" Tsunade changed the subject effortlessly.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama, I should probably go, goodbye," she gave a small bow and was gone. She had her own prior engagement to get to.

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Saigo had been busy practicing his taijutsu-shuriken-combination in the sprawling backyard when he suddenly felt the chakra of more people nearby in his home. The appearance of the two signatures was abrupt, which meant that people had teleported into his home. He knew it was probably the two ANBU returning, and therefore assumed his father would be with them.

The one flaw in his belief that his father was a former ninja was the fact that he could not feel his chakra, meaning he either had none or very little. Of course, he could simply be like Rock Lee, Lin's father, who was taijutsu master—possible, since he knew his father was _very_ good at taijutsu—but he believed he had never heard of any other ninja who were masters of it besides Rock Lee and his former sensei, Maito Gai.

Of course this could be easily explained by his second theory, which was that he and his father were not originally from Konohagakure and that also justified why his father did not leave their home unescorted. Perhaps his father had been a ninja of one of Konoha's enemy villages like Kirigakure and ran away. From all of the rumors he'd heard while on missions and such, 'Bloody Mist' was not just a title and he could understand why someone would want to leave a village ran by ruthless ninja with no morals.

Or perhaps it was something more…romantic, although he wanted to scrunch his face with distaste at the thought, even if it was not one that he could ignore. His father could have left his village because he had fallen 'in love' with his mother. To him, it seemed practically impossible, based on his father's own words and actions on the subject. For some reason, whenever he gave thought to the person who had to have carried him and his father had 'done' something with to have created him, he got a guilty, sour taste in his mouth. He had only asked his father about his mother once in the years he remembered and after the response he had never inquired again.

"_You don't have one."_

It was something that was not discussed, and it was one of the few things that caused his father to tense and his eyes to harden in a way that was almost frightening. And so it was never brought up again. It wasn't like Saigo mourned for her and thought about her often to begin with. He had heard some of his classmates in Basic School—the one that every child had to go to for two years before he or she could go on to the secondary civilian school or the Academy—talking and one of the girls had spoken about how she wished that she could grow up to be like her mother, a chuunin who had died to make sure her mission had succeeded. It got him to thinking about his own mother and when he had returned home he had simply asked the question, as he did often when he was younger.

Truthfully, he didn't miss his mother and he didn't think about her. He simply didn't have one and didn't deem her important. If he had been a girl, maybe it would have meant more, but he wasn't and it didn't. His father was the only parent he needed. If he wanted a mother figure he would have been closer to Iruka-sensei. Subconsciously—something he would always deny to his grave—it was a way so that he would never have to imagine his father in any sort of sordid relationship that might shatter the strong, silent, stoic image his father had always been.

"'Tou-san!" he called out moving towards the backdoor. It was late in the evening and while he had exceptional vision, it was hard to see all three figures clearly through the kitchen window. The door opened just as he reached it, revealing his father's face and then a puff of smoke in the background with the suddenly disappearing chakra, meaning that the two ANBU had left.

"Have you been training since you returned?"

"I didn't see the point in wasting the rest of the afternoon," he replied. "Is everything okay? They don't usually visit this late in the day."

His father gave a brief shrug, something that was natural and ingrained, and also very unlike his father's other mannerisms. There were times when his father would do something out of character, like the small smirk that would glide over his features at times when Saigo was talking in depth about his latest mission, or the way he would sometimes drift away and Saigo would come home to find him sitting by the window in the small living room, eyes closed and head tilted downward in a way that was proof that he was neither sleep, nor 'awake'. This was odd because his father slept sitting up as he would when awake, back propped against the wall, and his head held up as if he was forever alert, even with his eyes always shut.

"It was a meeting, nothing more," his father replied, using the same half-truth that meant Saigo would not get any more information than that. "Go wash up."

That was his father's way of telling him to take a bath or else he wouldn't be getting any dinner. "Yes, 'Tou-san," he gave small bow before taking off his shoes and hurrying up the stairs to the bathroom. It was a Mission Night, which meant that his father was making one of his favorite meals. He didn't catch the way his father's head followed him, something that might have once been an actual smile on his lips.

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_It cried a lot. That was the main reason why he had been suddenly designated the small creature's part-time 'caretaker', if only because the thing actually calmed down when he held It. For some reason It was crying right then and he couldn't seem to stop It. He held the thing, patted Its back, and had even degraded himself enough to make sure It wasn't in need of a change of clothing. None of these things had shut It up._

_Its face was red and scrunched up, mouth wide open to echo Its distress throughout the compound—or would have if It hadn't been locked away in one of the soundproof rooms. He had been trapped alone with It for almost fifteen minutes, after the medic-nin who usually looked after It had left with very little reason. Knowingly, It was probably one of that Snake's cruel pranks, forcing him to take care of it on his own. It probably had to due to with his 'insubordination' on his last mission—Kabuto would never pass up the chance to mark off his various offenses._

_It was still screaming. He set it back down in Its small wooden crib and the sound only grew louder as he stepped away from It. Frustrated, he spun around and slammed his hands on the counter near the sink. The force of it rattled the pristine white of the countertop, causing all of the objects to shake. One particular object had been sitting on the edge and thus fell over on it the floor, rolling to a stop after bumping into his foot. Looking down, he stared at the strange container for a moment before his genius mind decided to finally use its overrated analytical skills._

_He bent down and picked up the warm plastic container, staring at the rubber lid that jutted out from the top. He then walked back over to the still screaming, but now also hyperventilating being, whose feet and hands were quivering with the tenseness of Its body. Suddenly, Its eyes caught onto the object he was holding up in his hands and transformed instantly from the loud screeches to loud, hiccupping whimpers._

"_You're hungry," he stated lowering the bottle and watching as the hands moved towards it, all of the sounds stopping as its mouth opened wide and ready. He allowed It to take the nipple into Its mouth and was almost startled by the way It grabbed onto it, sucking the creamy liquid from within the bottle as quickly as possible. He watched It for a while and it continued to drink until he heard a scratchy suction noise, which led him to realize that the bottle was empty._

_He pulled the container away, and it was silent for a few moments, only for Its face to wrinkle up in discomfort, its eyes squinting and small whines escaping its throat. Something was wrong. Reluctantly, he picked It up again and held It, if gingerly. This still did not calm It, so he pulled It to his chest, as he had been taught—although very much _**against** _his will—by the medic-nin. As gently as he could, he rubbed Its back in circular motions with one hand while using his other to keep It from falling to the ground._

_As he did this, It calmed down, one hand coming up to cling to the fabric of his shirt. Suddenly there was a loud echo in the room and his eyes shifted to stare at the small being in shock, not fully believing It to be the origin of the loud belch. He did not stop in his motions until he felt the It become completely still in his arms, a soft, warm breath against his neck the only clue that It still lived. _

_Just as he was about to return It to Its bed, a sudden chill ran down his spine as someone pressed up against him from behind, arms coming around to hold him in a twisted embrace. He hadn't even noticed the door opening._

"_How precious." There was hot breath against his ear, the wetness of a tongue that oh-so-briefly darted out to lick the outer lobe. He didn't shudder, and arms that encircled him pressed against his own, copying their hold on the small being against his chest, but at the same time trapping him against the intruder._

"_Is there something you wanted?" he asked, voice empty and almost bored. He would not allow himself to be seen as weak. Weakness was something the Snake enjoyed manipulating, a fact he had known from the day he'd met him._

"_How could I miss watching the bonding time between father and son?" A chuckle, patronizing and soft. The hands moved, one sliding up the gently rub the top of Its head, while the other slid down to his own stomach, long fingers with short black nails scratching at the fabric. Without realizing it, he turned his head to the side, suddenly catching sight of himself in the long one-way window across the room. _**Dark**_, was the first thought that came to mind. Black hair curtained the Snake, even as he pressed against him and thus blocked part of his own body from view. It remained asleep within his arms and the vision was like a distorted version of reality. Something far too depraved to ever be real._

"_Such a perfect little family, don't you think, Sasuke-kun?"_

_The hold slackened and he pulled away, breaking the image, and thus returning It to Its crib. He turned after settling It down and gave a glare to convey all the things he could not say as he stated, "That is not my son."_

_

* * *

_

**See the part I was talking about? Now how OOC do you think he is? I was trying to keep him in character, but I figure that I botched it up a bit. Comments please?**


	5. Part 5

**Okay, I've noticed a trend, so I will state it now, that there will probably be a lot of flashbacks in this story. And not in chronological order. Maybe later I'll make a timeline or something, but I think I've done pretty could about keeping everything within the proper time-space continuity. So enjoy. **

**Title: Kekka to Ikenie (_Consequence and Sacrifice)_  
Author: S.P. Kathrine  
Fandom: Naruto  
Rating: R-NC17 (M-MA)  
Warnings: AU, BL (boyxboy), lack of uke/seme distinctions, violence, language, lack of well-written fight scenes, unbetaed (Does reading it over three times count?), Possibly OOC-ness, OC (important, but not main character of story)  
Part: 5 of undetermined  
Pairings: NaruSasuNaru (little-to-no uke / seme-ness), LeeSaku, HinaNeji (Hyuugacest), and others  
Summary: Mizono Saigo was always considered somewhat of a mystery by the people who know him, or of him. He was a considered one of the top students in the Ninja Academy, but was also a rather normal, if more-than-somewhat antisocial child. The true mystery was the father who no one saw, no one spoke to, who no one could even confirm existed. So when Saigo suddenly develops a bloodline trait that none could expect, a secret kept for over a decade comes to light, even though the former Hokage had forbidden anyone knowing of it to ever speak of it, even to her replacement. And the truth about Saigo's father is revealed. AU story because of changes made to canon plot.**

**Part Five**

"Ah, Konohamaru! Just the man I wanted to see!" Naruto exclaimed, standing up from his seat behind his rather messy desk and moving towards his second-in-command with outstretched hand.

"I'm just here to give my mission report, Boss," the brunette cut off whatever he might have planned to have said, eyes wary and alert for any new plot the Hokage might have conjured during his absence.

"Oh, please, that was just a formality mission," Naruto waved a hand dismissively. "You know as well as I do that Gaara will be at the Chuunin Exams this year. The only reason why it took you guys so long was because I purposely told him to wait awhile before giving you his reply. Quit acting like you actually _want_ to give a mission report about something so boring."

Konohamaru's eyes twitched, teeth clenching, and then threw the scroll that he had been carrying at the Rokudaime's head. Not prepared, Naruto was only a second away from actually getting hit in the face, but managed to dodge the missive before it struck. "Hey!" he glared.

"You could have sent some other team for that bullshit," Konohamaru scowled. "Are you purposely giving my team simple missions?"

"What?" Naruto couldn't understand what he was so angry about. "I thought I was doing you a favor! You know, getting you out of the village, and everything. _You're_ the one that decided to take your team with you! I was trying to give you time with that sand-nin—Haruko or whatever—that you like so much!"

This time it was a shuriken that came flying at the blonde's head. "Why didn't you just SAY that!"

"Because the Hokage is _not_ supposed to show favoritism!" Naruto explained. "Anyway, I bet you were able to work with your students about sand attacks and stuff, right? So it wasn't like everything was a _total_ loss, right? Now they'll be even more prepared for the Chuunin Exams!"

At the this Konohamaru gave a deep, suffering sigh. _Why do I put up with him again? If I had killed him earlier, I would have been Hokage, but _**NO**_, I just wanted to win the 'honorable' way. Stupid me._

"Hey, Konohamaru, you _are_ nominating your team for the Chuunin Exams, right?" Naruto inquired. "I mean, with the sand storms, the flood in Grass Country, the sudden civil war in Thunder Country, the Chuunin Exams have been held back for almost two years and yet you are one of the ONLY instructors that hasn't nominated at least one of their students be promoted in that time."

"Because I don't think that any of them have shown their true potential," Konohamaru stated. "And going on _easy_ missions hasn't helped me decide either."

"Hey!" Naruto put as much of his affronted dignity into the word as possible. "What about that princess you guys were supposed to bodyguard, only you found out that she was a missing-nin in disguise? That could have been a B-rank!"

"One B-rank doesn't make a Chuunin," Konohamaru replied. "And besides, it was easy to apprehend her. She was dying from poison already and had just been trying to get into Waterfall Country for refuge. She killed herself before we could even get back here. It was nothing like your first real mission, Naruto."

"So you're not going to enter them?" Naruto frowned. Konohamaru could be so serious when it came to his team. He was like Kakashi without the mask, and just as perverted. But instead of carrying around volumes of '_Icha Icha_', Naruto knew the younger man kept mini swimsuit magazines—the 'uncensored' versions—hidden on his person at all times. And yet, when he became an instructor, something had changed within him, and Naruto considered it a good thing. He had always known how to be serious when needed, but the responsibility didn't seem so much a chore to him anymore. Naruto had sometimes wondered what it would have been like if he'd had his own genin team before he became Hokage, but there had been so much fighting going on—most of it with him stuck in the middle—that Tsunade would never have put him in such a precarious position as to care for three barely-out-of-the-Academy ninja.

But it also seemed that Konohamaru expected quite a bit from his team at the same time. He hadn't nominated them for the first Chuunin Exam after their graduation, although Naruto understood that they hadn't even been a team for six months and had yet to go beyond the borders of Fire Country for a mission. The Exams were being held in Sunagakure that year and had been stalled indefinitely due to a disastrous sand storm that had raged for three weeks straight. The Exams were then cancelled and the irony of it was that the storm ended two days later.

The two after that had also been met with problems that cancelled them before they had even begun. In the case of Kumogakure, someone has attempted to kill the Lord of Lightning and in doing so sparked a civil war through out the entire country. Of course, it would have been short lived if allies had not been brought in and ninja involved. It was still going on, and thankfully, none of Konoha's major allies (meaning allies that they were on good terms with) were apart of it.

The flooding of Grass Country has also been unexpected. After months of a drought—ironic as it was a country predominantly of plant life and directly adjacent to the country of Rain—the sudden rains hadn't let up for four days, resulting in overflowing rivers. Even though it was over in time for the Exams, the Council of Elders that ruled over Kusagakure had decided to cancel in lieu of damage control throughout the country. Naruto had to send some of Konoha's own to help with the resulting clean-up after a direct meeting with the Lord of Fire Country, as they were allies with Grass. Along with the assistance of ninja from Takigakure in Waterfall Country, the damage had been easily contained, extensive though it was. Interestingly enough, Kusagakure itself had not been in danger due to the fact it was situated on the high plains of the country, although it was the more populated cities and villages that suffered from the floods the most.

In the time since the last actual Chuunin Exam, Konoha, Suna, and various other countries simply held promotion ceremonies where genin ascended to chuunin through nominations by higher-ranked ninjas and review of their mission records. Of the four teams—because after the attack that Akatsuki had perpetrated against Konohagakure ten years before, it had been decided that more ninja were needed due to all of the casualties and therefore more teams needed to be accepted after graduation, although Tsunade was _not_ above being picky about who fit the bill—that had graduated the year Konohamaru was given his first team, his was the only one where none had even been _nominated_ for chuunin status.

Of course, Naruto did not believe that it was from lack of skill—one was a Hyuuga (son of _Neji_ at that) and the other was the daughter of an obsessive compulsive perfectionist and a woman with a _real_ mean sucker punch (which made his reconsider their friendship at frequent intervals). All of them had been in the top ten of their class. Naruto often believed that the reason that _no one else_ had nominated any of Konohamaru students was because the jounin himself wouldn't allow it.

"Why are you so interested in my team anyway?" Konohamaru shot him an accusatory look. "Was that evil-wench-in-disguise complaining about me again?"

_Shit like that is why she still hates you_, Naruto thought to himself while also trying to remember the plot that had formed in his head the day before. As usual, he had forgotten most of it by the time he had gotten up that morning, but had decided that he could wing it when needed. Surprising people—including himself—was what he did best after all.

"Actually, she pointed out that I need to take a more hands on approach concerning the genin teams I've been making up for the past six years," he stated. "I mean, the Hokage should know everything about the people who follow him, right? And I can barely remember the names of the genin I've let out of the Academy. So I've decided to pay more attention to them and with the Chuunin Exams coming up, what better way than to talk to their teacher, eh?"

"You're trying to memorize information about all of the genin in Konoha?"

"Not just the genin. All of them!"

"Idiot!" Konohamaru shook his head at him. "Do you think Tsunade could recite the names of _every_ genin, let alone all the chuunin and jounin too?"

"The old man could," Naruto pointed out.

The Sandaime was no a topic either broached lightly. While Naruto had spent two years training under Tsunade to take up the position of Hokage, it was the legacy of the Sandaime that he worked to live up to. Of all of the Hokage, he was the one who lasted the longest and the most people mourned. And it is no simple feat to take back the reigns after you have already passed them on to someone younger, stronger, and to still run the village with the same skill and wisdom as you used the first time for another thirteen years. No simple feat at all. And contrary to what he had told Sakura the day before, he was sure that Sandaime HAD memorized the names of all of the ninja in Konoha. Living up to such a standard would be no easy deed.

There was a heavy silence in the room now, although not as uncomfortable as it as once been whenever the name of the Sandaime, Konohamaru's grandfather, was mentioned. Suddenly, Konohamaru snorted, a smirk crawling across his lips. "You know the only person with the skills to live up to him is me, so why do you even try?" he inquired. "I mean, yeah, you became Hokage first, but that's only because Tsunade's got it out for me."

"Then you shouldn't have replaced all of her sake with swamp water," Naruto retorted.

The other man shrugged off the comment as if he had not even spoken. "And it's really like you're just holding onto my spot until I can take it," he added, "so you really shouldn't be trying to copy people or else they'll forget all about you when you give up the Hokage position to me."

"How do you know I'll even _suggest_ that you become Hokage?" Naruto asked him with a scowl on his face. "You know _I'm_ the one that names my successor, right? So you better watch the mouth."

"Pssh," Konohamaru waved his hand dismissively. "If that was all it took, you would have been Hokage two years sooner. The Elders have to agree on it as well."

"By the time I give up my position, they'll be dead—they're can't live forever, and they're _already_ ancient—because I'm not dying young and you'll be too old to be Hokage by then!" And he proved just how much he had matured in his twenty-nine—_almost thirty_—years by sticking his tongue out at his right-hand ninja. Then he gave him a smile, "So, are you putting you team up for the Chuunin Exams or not?"

Konohamaru was far too used to Naruto's way of going off on tangents, only to then suddenly jump back into the original discussion, as the subject changed didn't even faze him. Instead he gave another careless shrug. "You'll just have to wait until Nomination Day to find out, won't you?" he smirked. "'Cause I'm not telling."

Naruto glared at him. "You can be such an ass."

"Who else would be able to put up with your bullshit?"

"I'm going to ignore that remark just because we're friends," the blonde told him, hand clenching as he turned around and went back to his seat.

"You're _so_ kind."

The Hokage was quickly forgetting the main reason he had wanted to speak to the jounin in favor of the need to wipe the annoying smug look off of his face. _I could have gotten rid of him already and never had to worry about somebody always out for my seat, but _**NO**_, he's my second-in-command instead._

"Why don't you go bug someone else's team?" Konohamaru suggested with a small sigh of exasperation. "I'm sure Yamanaka-san would be willing to gossip with you for as long you wanted. Besides, I need sleep after how Lin pretty much dragged us all here on her energy alone. We shouldn't have gotten here until around nine because we left late, but she was really 'enthusiastic' today."

Naruto let out a burst of laughter. "You mean you haven't learned ho to deal with all of that 'youthfulness', yet?"

Konohamaru gave another scowl that was so reminiscent of his childhood pout that Naruto just laughed louder, his body shaking so badly from the guffaws that he almost fell out of his seat. Of course, the other man in the room didn't find this to be very humorous. "You know, if it wasn't for the fact that I'd be charged with murder _and_ high treason, I'd kill you."

"Like you could beat me one-on-one," Naruto snorted in disbelief.

"I bet you've gone soft from sitting in that chair for so long," Konohamaru retorted. "You probably can't even do a proper Kage Bushin anymore."

Now this was something that the elite jounin knew the Hokage would take personally. "You wanna put your kunai where your mouth is?" the blonde challenged.

"Anytime, _Hokage-sama_."

"Fine! Two days from now, 0900, in field 13," Naruto declared. "We'll have a little 'sparring match'. I win, you have to buy me ramen for lunch until the day of the Chuunin Exams."

This didn't sound very fair to Konohamaru, but he wasn't planning on losing the match anyway. And his prize…

"I win—which I know I will—and you have to accept me as the number one candidate for your successor."

"WHAT?!"

The brunette gave another infuriatingly satisfied grin, "What's wrong, _Hokage-sama_? I mean, if I can beat you, then you're obviously not the strongest ninja in the village anymore."

As usual, his words had the desired effect, because Naruto was on his feet instantly. "I'll show you who's the strongest in the village, and newsflash it's NOT _you_!"

"It's on," Konohamaru replied. "Two days from now, 0900. I'll even bring my team just so that they can hear you declare my candidacy after I beat you into the ground. That is, if you're _conscious_." Then he turned around and walked to the door. Just as he was about to leave, a call from Naruto stopped him.

"Hey! Why were you late leaving anyway?" he inquired.

"Like you said, I wanted some 'alone' time with Haruko-chan," he gave a lecherous wink and walked out the door, shutting it behind him with a laugh.

Naruto sat back down, waiting until the door was closed before allowing the devious grin he was so well known for to cross his features. He might not remember his original plan, but he was always great at making up even _better_ ones. This was a mystery he would not let rest until he solved it. _Gotta have some entertainment around here,_ he thought.

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It was shortly after dawn when Saigo ventured drowsily out his room, stumbled down the stairs, and into the kitchen. He never completely awake in the morning, until after he got his first cup of hot tea and then took his shower. He sat down in _his_ chair—his because he was the only one that used it—and picked up the fresh cup of tea that sat in the same place as it always was.

Sipping it slowly, he allowed himself to become fully aware, the blur in his eyes disappearing and the fogginess of his mind fading away like the rising steam of the brew. He looked up from the cup in his hands and to his father, whose back was turned as he pulled different items from the cupboards.

"Are you expected to join your team, today?" his father asked of him.

"Yeah, at eight o'clock at the training fields," he replied. "I don't think we'll have another mission so soon after this past one, so I'll be home by three at the latest. We'll probably just go through some training exercises. Konohamaru-sensei hasn't even said whether or not he has nominated us for the Chuunin Exams."

This was something that had frustrated him in the past. He knew he was ready to become a Chuunin, and yet his instructor barely even mentioned them moving to Chuunin status. They had been together for almost two years and yet he felt as if they were being held back. Perhaps it was the peaceful times they were in. He had learned about the war that had ended ten years before during his years in the Academy—he had only been four at the time and couldn't even remember it. It hadn't been that long of a war, only a few months, from what his beginner's teacher, Hyoji-sensei said, and it had ended quickly due to the strengths of many skilled ninja, particularly the then-newly-instated Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto.

There had been little-to-no trouble for Konoha in the subsequent years as they rebuilt their strength and Saigo has wondered more than once why no one had taken advantage of their weakness when they could. Now Konoha was strong and had many strong allies, like Suna. What could have transpired during the war that no one would even attempt to use the village's weakest moments against them afterwards? Now that everything seemed to be 'fine' there was less of a need for Chuunin, and therefore the Exams were more selective.

"Konohamaru-sensei probably won't even nominate us this time," Saigo continued. "It does not appear as if we have done much to prove ourselves. With so little conflict, we can't show our worth."

"Don't let down your guard, when you least expect it is when it will most likely occur," his father said just as he drank down the last of his tea. Saigo stood and took in the words.

"Yes, 'Tou-san," he replied, bowing. Even though his father couldn't see it, the sentiment and routine of it was something that had been ingrained in him long before his father lost his sight. It would be _wrong_ not to do it. And it would not do to appear disrespectful when he father regained his sight. He squashed the thought before it could grow. His father's sight wasn't going to magically come back. It was a disease that had attacked his eyes; there was nothing that could be done. They had yet to find a cure. There was nothing that _he_ could do…

/ _It was getting late and his father had called an end to their after-dinner sparring session. Of course, his father had beaten him quite thoroughly, but he could tell that he had gone easy on him. There were always those brief moments when it would seem as if his father had never lost his sight, as strange look appearing on his face that shouldn't have been there. It always occurred just as he was about to pull a technique that might have changed the flow of the 'match'. Suddenly, he would move faster, more agile, more 'deadly'. These bouts didn't last long, as he would slow down once more just before contacting with Saigo, breaking through his defense and knocking him to the ground…again._

_He watched out of the corner of his eye as his father picked up the shuriken and kunai that Saigo has used that evening. His father never used weapons when they trained, only taijutsu. Tonight had been target practice—on a moving target. Sometimes he was expected to use ninjutsu as well, but his father couldn't because he didn't have enough chakra. But that didn't stop him from beating Saigo every time. And it didn't stop Saigo from working harder so that, perhaps next time, he would be able to put at least one scratch on his father._

_His father's eyes were closed, as they always were. He hadn't seen them open since that day when he first seen the full affect of the disease, the blindness that his father could never recover from. Now, five years later, he couldn't even remember what his father's eye color had been. There were no pictures in the house, save the ones that Saigo has brought home from school. They were in the living room, placed carefully about on different tables and shelves._

_But nothing of his father. It made him wonder all the more about whom his father had been, what he had been like at his own age. Were they alike? Had they been at the same level? Did they have the same dreams? Were their eyes the same?_

"'_Tou-san," he spoke as they put the weapons away into their designated pouches._

"_Hn?"_

"_Would…What if…" his voice trailed off. _

_His father stood beside him, not facing him, but obviously listening, waiting._

"_Do you think I would make a good medic-nin?" he finally blurted._

_His father turned to face him fully then, the brief raising of his one eyebrow showing his surprise. Saigo understood. It was not something he had ever voiced an interest of before, nor a line of questioning that he had ever used. His father remained silent, as if waiting for an explanation._

"_I…I mean…" Never before had he been so nervous when speaking to his father. Normally, he would simply ask the question and if it wasn't answered, he would let it go as unimportant, or his father would give him whatever response he deemed fit. He had never balked at such a thing before. Why now?_

_He took a deep breath and let it out, steadying himself. "Lin's mother, Sakura-san is a medic-nin, but she is also very strong. She can fight, but she also knows how to heal people." He inhaled deeply once more, continuing, "She can use chakra to fix broken bones, or even remove poisons. Perhaps…it could even be used to cure illnesses one day…"_

_His father didn't speak for a while. They sat in silence, Saigo becoming more nervous with each second that passed by. Did he understand what Saigo wanted? Did he think it was stupid? Selfish? Impossible? Saigo could never say that he knew for sure what his father was thinking. The man was so blank, even though Saigo knew he cared, but it was his actions that proved it, not his face._

"_You shouldn't base the rest of you life on the will of someone else."_

_Saigo's head turned quickly, gazing at the slightly down-tilted head of his father, partially hidden by his lengthy ebony hair._

"'_Tou-san?"_

"_Do you want to become a medic-nin, Saigo?"_

_The question caught him off-guard, and he didn't response immediately. "I…I think I could be a good medic-nin," he said. "I think it would be nice to help people, and yet still be able to go on missions and protect Konoha." His thoughts in order, he gave a decisive nod of his head. "Yes, I do want to be a medic-ninja."_

"_Then become one because you want to, not because you think I need you to."_

_With those words his father left his side, entering the house, but leaving the door open for Saigo to follow. The chestnut-haired boy watched as his father's figure disappeared behind the corner leading to the stairwell. He didn't even notice when the smile bloomed across his face, his decision made._

_The next day, he began training with chakra control on his own. /_

And he continued to train. He would like to think he had improved, but he had yet to use his training to its fullest. There was always a limit to how much he would reveal during his sparring sessions with his team. He knew with his father it wouldn't matter, the man was too strong. But perhaps, if Konohamaru-sensei did nominate them for the Chuunin Exams, he would be able to use his hard work to its maximum.

He thought on his father's words. He would not become lax in his training, nor would he give up his ambition of becoming a medic-nin. _As a medic-nin I will be able to better protect the one person who means the most to me,_ he thought. _And one day, if it hasn't already be done, I will give him back his sight. That's a promise of a lifetime._

_

* * *

_

**Okay, I like this chapter, but I don't really think I kept everyone in character. Sasuke, I have changed according to his experiences, which have not all been revealed to you yet, but do any of you think I've gone too far? I would really like some opinions on this. Also, don't expect another update for at least two-three weeks. I have exams and another story which I REALLY need to update. **


	6. Part 6

**I finally finished this part with help from Neko Kate-chan. Had some trouble with one of the scenes, but after I fixed it, it was clear sailing.**

**Title: Kekka to Ikenie (_Consequence and Sacrifice)_  
Author: S.P. Kathrine  
Fandom: Naruto  
Rating: R-NC17 (M-MA)  
Warnings: AU, BL (boyxboy), lack of uke/seme distinctions, violence, language, lack of well-written fight scenes, unbetaed (Does reading it over three times count?), Possibly OOC-ness, OC (important, but not main character of story)  
Part: 6 of undetermined  
Pairings: NaruSasuNaru (little-to-no uke / seme-ness), LeeSaku, HinaNeji (Hyuugacest), and others  
Summary: Mizono Saigo was always considered somewhat of a mystery by the people who know him, or of him. He was a considered one of the top students in the Ninja Academy, but was also a rather normal, if more-than-somewhat antisocial child. The true mystery was the father who no one saw, no one spoke to, who no one could even confirm existed. So when Saigo suddenly develops a bloodline trait that none could expect, a secret kept for over a decade comes to light, even though the former Hokage had forbidden anyone knowing of it to ever speak of it, even to her replacement. And the truth about Saigo's father is revealed. AU story because of changes made to canon plot.**

**Part Six**

The training grounds were empty when he arrived, as they usually were. They were supposed to meet at eight, but Saigo always arrived at least an hour early. It gave him time to work on his charka training on his own before everyone else showed up. Removing the black jacket he always wore, he left it on the ground as he used the chakra centered in his feet to scale the large tree that he always used. The tree was also rather beaten down from all of his efforts.

The tree was tall, and but not very thick, which made it the perfect training tool. He had already perfected walking up it—tree-walking was something his team had mastered early on in their training with Konohamaru-sensei—without cracking the bark and had gotten to the point that he could walk on some of the higher, thinner braches, without breaking them. That day, his plan was to practice control upside down.

He walked along the underneath of one of the lower branches, halting in the center before pulling out a hand full of shuriken and attaching strings to each. The string was very thin thread that usually would have been cut by the sharp blades before it could be tied, but by sending a continuous feed of his charka to each string, each was strengthened to the point that they were nigh unbreakable as well as deadly. It was all part of his training.

For the next hour, he went through various exercises, all the while maintaining a steady flow of chakra. He kept himself alert, waiting for the arrivals of his teammates. When he could hear voices—_one_ voice in particular—he wrapped up his last exercise and dropped down from the branch he had been stuck to, and put his weapons away. He wasn't sure why he didn't want his team to know about the extra training he did, but he knew that Lin would most definitely want to join him, and she would lead Hikoshi into it as well. And as much as he trusted his cellmates when they were on a mission, he did not wish to include them in his private training regimen.

"Hello, dear friend Saigo!"

The dark-haired pair was coming down the road, Lin at the head waving her hand wildly to catch his attention. He waited for the two to reach him giving his greeting.

"You seem rather energetic today, Lin," he told her.

"Because Naruto-san came to visit last night and he told 'Kaa-sama that he and Konohamaru-sensei were going to be sparring today! And we get to watch!"

"What?" Saigo's eyes widened.

"It's true."

They all turned stare at their instructor, who stood only a few feet away with a hand running exasperatedly through his hair. "I should have known he wouldn't keep his mouth shut about it," he sighed.

"A match between Konohamaru-sensei and Hokage-sama?" Saigo allowed the thought to be tossed about in his mind. His knew that Konohamaru-sensei was strong, and also extremely good at stealth tactics, but his opponent would be the _Hokage_, the reigning strongest ninja of the village. He had only met the Hokage on a few occasions, when he had visited the Academy, the day of their graduation, and twice with his team. The man was always smiling, often loud, and very friendly.

He could feel the excitement building in his body, a twitch that left him with the desire to run, jump, or some other physical activity. A 'battle' between his instructor and Hokage would undoubtedly be an intense one and he could barely hide his interest.

"Will we be sparring while we wait for Hokage-sama to arrive?" he asked instead.

"If you want," Konohamaru-sense shrugged. "Otherwise I guess we'll just be sitting around not doing anything."

Saigo nodded at his response and then turned to Hikoshi. The raven-haired boy didn't bother to nod to his silent request, but instead turned away, walking towards the center of the training grounds. Saigo followed after him, knowing that a spar against the older Hyuuga would do well to keep him distracted for more than the allotted time. It wasn't often that they sparred together anymore, unless it was all three of them at the same time. For some reason Konohamaru-sensei usually sparred with him—obviously going easy on him because he wasn't knocked flat on his back in less than five minutes—while Lin and Hikoshi sparred together instead. If not with Konohamaru-sensei, he would spar with Lin, as they both excelled at taijutsu.

It was a rare occasion for Hikoshi and Saigo to spar with one another after their first year as a team, and yet they never truly displayed all of their capabilities when they did—Saigo _knew_ he was holding back and was not stupid enough to believe Hikoshi was giving it his all. His teammate was a prodigy after all. They were all holding back, awaiting their nomination into the Chuunin Exams to fully display their skills. None of them had spoken about it—not that Saigo knew what Lin and Hikoshi talked about when he wasn't around—but it seemed like it was a unconscious agreement to hold back and wait for when the time was right.

"What about me?!" Lin exclaimed. "I don't want to sit on the sidelines!"

"Oh, you don't want to sit with me, Lin-chan?" Konohamaru gave a fake pout. He then asked in a voice too low for the boys to hear, "You spar with Hikoshi all of the time anyway. Are you jealous that Saigo gets to?"

Lin's eyes widened comically. "No!" she shook her head furiously, although he could see the hint of color in her cheeks. "Of course they can spar each other, Konohamaru-sensei! But I, too, would like to enjoy this wonderful day! It would be a waste of my youth to merely to do nothing when I could be training myself productively!"

Konohamaru laughed, purposely ruffling her straight-cut bangs. He recalled the day of their genin final, when he had to push their limits and decide if they were actually ready to be ninja, even though they had passed their genin exam he still had to give their that last test. She had come to the meeting with her cut down into a bowl-shaped style just below her ears, all of the lengthy black locks that had trailed down her back gone.

He had been thankful that she had not come wearing any form of leotard or spandex, but he knew that her mother would rather burn all of her father's similar clothing than allow her to join him in wearing them. As much as Sakura accepted Lee's idiosyncrasies—all of which she blamed on one Maito Gai—she put her foot down on her daughter following too closely in his footsteps. The "Speeches of Youth" she could handle, green spandex and fatalistic taijutsu was another subject entirely. Since then Lin had allowed her hair to grow back out, just enough to pull back into a low braid, but she had complained that she wanted to cut it again, for practicality's sake. She didn't want to get caught on a mission because her hair was too long. At the same time, when Hikoshi had mentioned cutting his hair, much as his mother had done for most of her childhood, she had become hysterical with protests.

It was interesting, Konohamaru thought, watching the two as they danced around each other. Lin, he knew, was a smart girl and had probably already figured out that she had feelings for her closest friend, although she seemed content not to do anything about it. Hikoshi, for all his ninja genius, was rather naïve when it came to 'relationships' and he didn't see Hyuuga Neji as being someone willing to give his son 'The Talk'. He wondered if he would have to be the one to open the door for them both. _I hope not,_ he shuddered inwardly. _Maybe I just give them some _**Icha Icha** _volumes and tell them to ask their parents questions later. Calendar girls aren't going to be much help… at least for Lin-chan._

"C'mon Lin-chan," Konohamaru soothed her. "You can sit with me and enjoy the nice shade of this tree until Naruto shows up. You don't want to leave me sitting here alone, do you?"

There was a look in her eyes that said she saw through his 'pitiful' act far more easily that he gave her credit for, but then she smiled in that enthusiastic way that was so much like her father. "All right, Konohamaru-sensei!" she stated. "I'll stay with you and watch their sparring. It is easier to catch someone's weaknesses from the outside anyway, and I should be prepared if we fight each other in the Chuunin Exams. Is that not correct, Konohamaru-sensei?"

The brunette let out a laugh, slapping her on the back, although without much force. "You know I think I've misjudged you, Lin-chan," he stated with a grin. "You really are your mother's daughter."

Back on the training field, the two boys faced off against each other.

"Name the style," Hikoshi told him.

"Taijutsu only, no weapons or special techniques not taijutsu-related," he said. "We don't want to injure each other and have to go to the hospital. We'd miss Konohamaru-sensei's match."

"All right," Hikoshi agreed.

"Good," Saigo gave a small little smirk before taking the offense, rushing forward towards his opponent directly. He was going to enjoy this match, short though it would be.

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"I would like to see the seal," Hinata asked. "Perhaps I can find a way to alter it, without causing any other damage or side effects."

"It's something I tried before," Tsunade replied, "but I am not a seal expert, although I feel like I should be by now." She turned to the dark-haired man that sat in his usual place, in the small chair away in the center of the room. "Show it to her, Tezuka."

The Hyuuga heir moved to watch as he pulled the hair away from his neck and shoulders, bending so that she could see the seal that she had long ago learned had been placed on him by Orochimaru. It had been two days since she had agreed to be part of the team working to reclaim this man's sight and today was her first chance to actually get any work done. She had spent a few days looking through the scrolls of the Hyuuga Main House, for the Hyuuga were efficient and proficient in seal-making—although many of them she would never even contemplate using on another human being. The Branch Seal was too dark for her tastes as it was.

She was surprised when Tezuka didn't lower the collar of his shirt, but instead quickly tied his hair up into a high bun, away from his neck and moved his head downwards. Moving behind him, her eyes widened at the sight of a _different_ seal that was at the very base of his skull, right below his hairline. It was shaped much like a triangle shuriken, surrounded by symbols related to doujutsu and chakra seals. To her, it appeared that the seal was meant to suppress his charka—and more definitely his sharingan—but due to how deeply his vision was connected to his chakra, the result led to it affecting his sight as well. _It makes sense,_ she thought. _Whoever did this even placed the seal near the occipital lobe and medulla to make sure it would work. And it did, but far better than anyone expected, I bet._

And then she understood why the seal could not be removed.

"This was put on you when you returned," she stated. He didn't bother to reply because he knew it wasn't a question.

Tsunade gave a small frown, one that disappeared almost instantly, but the twitch of her cheek muscles was enough of a signal for her. She must not have agreed with the placing of the seal. "It is part of his sentence," the blonde woman explained. "He only had two choices." It wasn't hard to figure out what the other option had been.

'They' probably meant the Council Elders. She wondered who else was in on this tightly kept secret. Why had Sasuke returned in the first place? Had he thought to return to the village that he had abandoned and make amends, only to be given this stiff and—in her opinion—inhumane punishment? No, for she knew that if Uchiha Sasuke had truly returned to rejoin the village and his friends, he would not have allowed himself to remain secreted away for so many years. Instead, it had been Tezuka who had agreed to these stipulations. But why?

/ "_Why did you return?"_

"_That is something I cannot divulge. Ask Godaime-sama."_ /

Perhaps the reason for his return was the key to everything in the end. But Hinata was not sure she was willing to take that step and ask. This man was not _the_ Uchiha Sasuke, but at the same time there were many similar attributes, protection of privacy most likely one of them. He did not appear to be one to divulge information freely and actually asking Tsunade-sama seemed like a betrayal.

"Have any tests been done on the chakra channels in his brain?" she inquired.

Shizune stepped forward to rather thick manila folders in her arms. "These are the notes Tsunade-sama and I have taken over the course of the past eight years," she said. "So far most of it is conjecture and speculation with very little progress. It's obvious that it has to do with the fact that his genetics have wired many of his chakra channels to his eyes in a way that blocking them possibly affected his optical nerves. The problem comes in finding a way to return his sight without causing more damage to the chakra channels in his brain. One ill-prepared or under-calculated procedure and he could end up paralyzed and/or mentally 'incapacitated'."

It was obvious that both of them had put a lot of thought and time into this. Tsunade would not have asked for her assistance unless she had exhausted all other roads of action. There was also the fact that neither the former Hokage nor her assistant could see into the raven-haired man's brain, as Hinata could with her Byakugan. They could scan it and look over images of it afterwards, but they could not see it active and working. They could not see which chakra channels had been closed off by the seal.

Putting her hands together in a familiar gesture, hearing the routine words in her mind and she felt her eyes widened and the pull of the skin of her face as suddenly everything appeared different. For an instant she could see everything, from the floor below them where boxes were piled with extra supplies and equipment, to the top floor of the hospital where an injured ninja was being rolled out for fresh air in a wheelchair, both of his legs in castes.

It was so easy to get lost in the power of it, losing her own personal self as she floated through the various images and knowledge she collected. She couldn't read minds, but she could see every movement the world made. The flutter and texture of a woman's eyelashes as she blinked. A caterpillar as it slowly developed into a butterfly within its cocoon. It was enough to drive someone insane from the overload of information. When she was younger she had always thought about going further, pushing the Byakugan to its limit and see if the future was within her eyes. But control was what dictated the use of the Byakugan, for without it the mind couldn't handle everything that the eyes would take in.

And then Hinata focused, pulling her mind and Sight to one area, that being the man sitting in front of her. She expected much and yet knew not what to expect at the same time. The bright, practically glowing streams that circulated through the entire body, flowing around vital organs like ropes of light, were rather standard for most people and yet she knew that such would not be the case with her patient. Even so, the sight of it left a stone in the pit of her stomach. Most people had chakra of various colors of blue, some bright and pale enough to appear white, while other dark near black. But Tezuka's was black. There was no way that the ebony shadow-like trails meandering throughout his body like poison could be mistaken for anything else.

How had she not noticed this menacing darkness? Perhaps the seal did more than just suppressed his chakra, but also hid the dark aura that it would have given the raven-haired man from obvious detection. What things had he endured that even his _chakra_ had been twisted beyond recognition into something that many would fear for its seeming ill-intent. She purposely avoided looking at the other seal on his shoulder, closing her focus on the main point of her scrutiny. It was a technique that most Hyuuga learned by the age of seven, how to close off all other vision and lock onto one point with all of your concentration. It was a good technique to avoid information overload.

Rather than allow her shock and curiosity to rule her examination, Hinata returned her concentration to the task at hand. She focused even more on Tezuka's head, seeing the chakra channels and immediately noticed the discontinuity. There was still chakra going to his brain, but there was also a build-up in the back right where the seal had been placed. The blockage was putting pressure on his occipital lobe. This had to be what was affecting his vision.

For a doujutsu user, Hinata knew that chakra to the eyes was very important, and she assumed that an Uchiha's chakra was ingrained into their eyes due to the bloodline limit. After using the sharingan for so many years, his eyes might even _require_ the chakra to continue functioning. A small trickle of chakra still traveled from where the seal had been place to the brain and eyes, but it was so small that Rock Lee most likely had more chakra to spare. She now could understand why he hadn't lost his sight instantaneously.

"Hinata?" Tsunade waited for her to report.

"The seal blocked too much chakra from his eyes," she replied. "Whoever made this didn't take into account that his eyes were attached to his chakra channels more than the average person, even more than a Hyuuga. His eyes actually require chakra to work at all. You were right about it being due to his genetics, but I'm not an expert on them and so I can't actually say 'how' the seal affected him precisely."

She then gave a frown. "There is also a chakra build-up on his occipital lobe, because it stops the chakra from going to his eyes completely, rather than rerouting it to somewhere else in the body. That could also be a reason for that he progressed into blindness rather than having it occur immediately after the seal was placed."

If the object of their conversation minded that they spoke of him as if he was just another test subject, he hid it well. Although, Hinata guessed that he was used to being poked, prodded, and analyzed after so many years under constant supervision. He remained still to the point he could have faked catatonia, head still bent downwards, long bangs dangling like a curtain around his face. She surveyed the clot again noticing its size and realized that something didn't make sense.

"The clot should be much larger," Hinata replied. "After so many years of building up, it should actually be the size of a large melon. But it is actually only the size of a small smoke bomb."

"Could the chakra be rerouting itself naturally?" Tsunade asked.

"Possibly," she nodded. "It would just take longer to return down the same channel and change course."

"It's the seal."

It was the first time that she had heard his voice that morning.

Tsunade stared at him, her eyes cut in a look that showed open disapproval. "How long?" she asked.

"Since he died," the man replied.

"It was inspected, nothing appeared wrong," she stated. Hinata understood that this conversation did not include her and yet she could make her own assumptions from the words spoken.

"You didn't use someone who could see chakra," he replied. Years ago, she believed the words would have been taunting and condescending, but now they were simply honest and blunt.

"If you had mentioned something sooner, I would have," she replied. "You left it for eleven years."

"You couldn't."

It was true. Although probably not something that Tsunade was willing to admit. Hinata wasn't sure if she would have been prepared to deal with this sort of secrecy all those years ago.

"I would have brought in Kakashi."

"He wouldn't have come."

Hinata filed this away for another time of pondering. The implications were there, but she was not ready to look that deeply into it. She might forgo her vow of patience and ask questions that the two before her weren't ready to answer.

Suddenly Tsunade's eyes widened. "It's both of them isn't it?" she said. "The seals are feeding off of each other." She moved to stand beside Hinata. "Remove your shirt," she commanded. Tezuka didn't bother to argue with her, he never did.

He unfastened the black buttons easily and shifted forward so that the shirt slid down his arms rather than removing it completely. Hinata stared in near shock at the sight of his porcelain pale skin, back littered with scars of various lengths from wounds of various severities. The life of a ninja was perilous—she herself had a large burn scar across her thigh from being stabbed with a burning stake of wood. But by his own words, Tezuka hadn't been a ninja for over twelve years.

_He spent more than 3 years with Orochimaru,_ she reminded herself. _Did you think he would be pampered?_

And the answer was that many believed that way. Hinata knew nothing of Orochimaru personally, save everything she had seen with her own eyes and heard through the rumor mill. There had been spies within his organization of course, but none of them were close enough to Orochimaru or anyone of importance to report much on the Uchiha while he was in his care. He was naturally a loner, and whenever Orochimaru thought it safe to let him out his sight, Kabuto was there in his stead. Hinata herself knew next to nothing about what transpired in the years after Uchiha Sasuke had defected to Otogakure, but the scars that trailed over his entire back and even on his shoulders, gave her an insight into something that was probably best left unknown to her.

She moved her gaze away from the his back to his shoulder instead, staring at the three black, tattoo-like tomoe that curved towards each other in a circular formation. The thought came to her whether or not the seal in all its Sharingan similarity was tailored specifically for Uchiha Sasuke, or if it had been pure happenstance. Hinata had never seen it on anyone else, although she had heard that Mitarashi Anko had been Orochimaru's only student—the only one that survived anyway.

Once more, she used the Byakugan, this time centering her Vision on the place she had dared not to look the first time. On the surface, the seal didn't even appear to be a seal—lacking the usually symbols and words that came with the commonly known varieties—but rather a stylish tattoo one would get in his youth. But as she stared at it, watching as the tendrils of black energy that was Tezuka's chakra connect to it, even though no chakra channels were close, she knew it to be one of the _darkest_ things she had ever seen attached to the human body.

_It eating his chakra,_ she assessed and by following the direction the majority of the chakra it consumed came from, she could see that it was eating the build-up from the other seal.

"The seal is eating the chakra," she finally spoke aloud. "But if it wasn't, the seal on his neck would actually have killed him already from the chakra blockage, because it would have gotten to the point that it would have overloaded his nerves and probably even his medulla oblongata in the process."

"So _that man's_ seal is what's keeping him alive?" Shizune was obviously surprised.

"Yes, but if it doesn't take away all of the chakra, which if it did, would actually eliminate the problem altogether," she replied. "I don't know what the seal is _supposed_ to do, but it only takes away a proportioned amount and so the blockage is never removed completely. Perhaps if the seal were modified to take more chakra, the clot would be dissolved after so long and remain gone."

Tsunade nodded at her assessment and prediction. "But the problem is that neither seal can be tampered with. Orochimaru made sure that his could never be removed and he even '_perfected_' it, so that other seals couldn't be used on it again."

_Again_.

Once more Hinata was trapped by the fact that she had not been close to Uchiha Sasuke, and that much of what occurred all those years ago had been kept from public knowledge for some time. It was only after the Uchiha had left that much of what had been kept hidden had come out, most of it through 'leaks'. While the civilians were still rather oblivious about transpired, it was considered common knowledge for all who had been ninja before his departure.

How was she supposed to help him if there was so much that she didn't know about what was going on?

She cut off the Byakugan, closing her eyes to allow them to readjust and then opened them again. "That's enough for today," she stated. "We should meet again in three days. I need to do some more research and that will give me enough time to look into more alternative routes."

Tsunade nodded in agreement to her statement. She looked down at the man that had already pulled his black shirt back over his shoulders and was being fixing the buttons. "Hawk and Wolf shall return you to your home and will be there to get you at three in the morning."

"Hai, Godaime-sama," he said. The two ANBU that had been standing inconspicuously against the wall stepped forward and, as before, it was Hawk who placed the hand on Tezuka's shoulder. Then they were gone.

Tsunade and Shizune backed away. "I shall see you in three days, Hinata-san," they both turned to leave the room, only to be stopped.

"Wait," Hinata called out to them. "Tsunade-sama I do not feel that I can properly treat this 'patient' unless I know more about what is going on. When you spoke to each other, I was caught completely off guard. If you truly want me to help him to the best of my abilities, then I need to know everything."

Tsunade gave what could have been a snort and a bark of a laugh all at the same time. "Everything?" she repeated. "Even **_I_** don't know everything about what went on in the years that Uchiha Sasuke was with _that man_. While he gave enough information to spare his life, he didn't give it all. Every man has his secrets."

Hinata frowned. "That doesn't explain what I want to know," she told her. "It doesn't even make sense as to why he would willingly return to Konoha in the first place. What happened?"

Tsunade turned to her, an 'end-of-the-subject' look in her eyes. "You want to know about the seals and Orochimaru I will tell you, but I don't think you need to know anything else. If it seems like you need to know, I let you know. Until then, just leave it be. Some things aren't meant to be known."

Hinata watched as the two women walked out the door and shut it behind them, leaving her alone in the dark room on the second-to-the-last floor of the Konoha Hospital. She couldn't say that she hadn't expected the response she received. But that didn't mean that it abated her curiosity. Whatever happened was obviously something critical. Why else would so many be so willing to keep it all a secret? It also made her want to know more.

_Perhaps Naruto actually rubbed off on me after all these years._

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By the end of the hour of sparring, both boys were covered in cuts, bruises, and Saigo has blood dripping down his chin from where a punch to the face has cut his teeth into his bottom lip and cheek, while Hikoshi was favoring his right leg, the ankle having been hurt by Saigo kicking it with more force than was probably necessary to knock him off his feet. To them, the injuries seemed minimal. They were only using taijutsu after all.

"That's enough!" a voice called out from one of the larger trees on the edge of the clearing.

They both turned—although slowly and stiffly—towards the direction the voice and looked upwards instinctively. Sitting on one of thick branches with his back propped against the tree was the Rokudaime, blue eyes twinkling with excitement and laughter.

"You know, Konohamaru, I thought you and I were supposed to be sparring!" he called out.

"We would have started sooner if you hadn't decided to sit on you ass for the past half-hour!" the brunette shouted back.

"But they were _enjoying_ themselves!" Naruto defended. "It would have been mean to break them up!"

He then seemed to disappear, body moving so fast that not even Hikoshi could catch him. Suddenly he was standing beside Konohamaru, one arm draped over his shoulder in a friendly manner. "Man, these are some kids you got here," Naruto said, obviously impressed. "And you're _not_ sure if you want to put them in the Chuunin Exams?"

Lin jumped forward, more energetic now that the final person had arrived. "But Naruto-san, Konohamaru-sensei is-" her words were halted by the hand that immediately covered her mouth.

Konohamaru let out a distracting laugh and then winked at her. "You know, Lin, maybe you should check on the boys and make sure they didn't cause any permanent damage," he suggested.

Lin was gone instantly, already shouting words of comfort and praise to her two teammates.

Naruto watched as Konohamaru scratched his nose, a habit he hadn't lost from his childhood that made the blonde want to snicker. "_I get it_," he said in a low voice, although it was obviously meant to be teasing.

"Are you ready to have your High-and-Mighty ass handed to you in front of me team," Konohamaru was once more his usual self.

"Only if you're willing to have Sakura patch you up after Lin runs homes crying about how badly her sensei was beaten by the great _Hokage_," Naruto replied.

"Bring it," the younger man taunted.

"I will," Naruto smirked. "Now let's just see if you can handle it when I do."

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/ _It seemed very familiar those first few months he was confined to the home that had been chosen for he and his son, so much like the last months of their time in _**that place** _when he had been all but confined to the dark, damp underground halls that he could never think of as home. Saigo didn't notice the change of location, so use to their nomadic lifestyle was he. There were times that he wondered if chance he had taken had been the wrong choice…if his son would have been better off with someone other than himself. The uncertainty was not something he entertained often, as it was far too late—and rather detrimental to his own health—for him to choose differently._

_He couldn't use chakra, or even mold it, without excruciating pain that would leave him in bed for hours. It had happened twice already, times when he had been distracted by past events and taken action that he shouldn't have. But that was in the beginning, and he hadn't made that error in over three months. Even if he chose to leave again, there was no way he could make it out of the village—let alone Fire Country—with Saigo. Taijutsu would only go so far against ANBU order to kill him on sight should he leave his home without an 'approved' escort._

_It wasn't like he was bored. Saigo had already learned to walk, although still wobbly on his feet, but that didn't stop him from getting into things as he pleased. He had to pay very special attention to him, particularly at night to make sure he was asleep before the dark-haired young man laid down to rest himself. If not, the little boy had a tendency of climbing out of his crib, which was directly beside his bed._

_It didn't surprise him that the boy was developing so quickly. It had been that way ever since they had left _**that place**_. Before then he hadn't done anything but cry, but within a few months he had actually learned how to make other sounds and babbling words that Sasuke would never be able to understand. That was also when he learned to crawl, which—from the books he had 'borrowed' and various women sympathetic to the plight of a 'first time mother'—he was supposed to have learned months before._

_There was a noise, a creaking wooden sound of something being moved. He didn't bother to move or even open his eyes. He just waited. The noise happened again, loudly, and accompanying it was a rough exhalation of air. A sound of effort and frustration. He waited._

_Finally there a muffled 'thump', a shifting of the pressure and weight on his slightly upraised bed. A sound that seemed to resemble a high 'oomph' and then there was movement. A small body crawled over his own, knee hitting him in the back and hand shoving against his cheek. He opened his eyes and watched as the tiny figure made it to his other side—as he was lying on his right side—only to close them again before the child turned to stare at him. Seeing that his eyes were closed, the boy proceeded to climb his way into the blankets he lay under._

_Once he decided he was suitably 'comfortable', the child lay almost against him, back pressed within centimeters of his chest, and pulled his limp hand over so that he could hold it between his own small ones. He spent some time playing with his hand, moving the fingers about and petting it like one would a domestic animal. But it wasn't long before the movement stopped and he knew that Saigo has fallen back to sleep._

_This was when he would usually lift the boy and put him back in his crib, as he would then sleep through the night peacefully. It seemed he was still too used to sleeping beside him, or on top of him, as he did before they had come to Konoha. Perhaps he was trying to keep him near, still unsettled by the weeks that they had been separated. Saigo had not taken the weeks he had spent in incarceration well, at least if what Kakashi had told him hadn't been embellished—although Kakashi hadn't really 'said' anything at that was why he knew it to be true._

_He really should return the boy to his own bed. He needed to learn to sleep on his own anyway. He was getting to old to be sleeping in the same bed with him. And yet he didn't, and didn't move his arm either, still kept in that tiny, loose grip. He opened his eyes, gazing down at the small being that held him as if he was precious and needed. It was something he still did not understand. Of course, when they had been traveling, he had been the one protecting and providing everything for him, but now it was different. Now they were in Konoha, and Saigo could have a real family, without ever being tied to his dead clan, or himself. He didn't need him._

_He did move then, bringing the boy nearer to him—Saigo seemed to accept the close contact without complaint—and closed his own eyes. He fell asleep easily then, and for the first time in weeks his night was thankfully dreamless._ /

* * *

**The explanations about the seals might seem a bit confusing, but more will be explained later. The flashback turned out unexpectedly. I was planning on something else, but I think the angsty-fluff is okay too. I made a nice length update to repay you for your patience.**


	7. Part 7

**Wow...I'm updating after almost a year. This update is a actually thank you to Ohman, for letting me know that people are still paying attention to this story. I'm not a review-whore, but it's wonderful to know someone actually wanted me to update after so long.**

**Title: KTI : Consequence and Sacrifice  
Author: S.P. Kathrine  
Fandom: Naruto  
Rating: R (M)  
Warnings: AU, BL (boyxboy), lack of uke/seme distinctions, violence, language, lack of well-written fight scenes, unbetaed, Possibly OOC-ness, OC (important, but not main character of story), Lots of flashbacks.  
Part: 7 of undetermined  
Pairings: NaruSasuNaru (little-to-no uke / seme-ness), LeeSaku, HinaNeji (Hyuugacest), and others  
Summary: Mizono Saigo was always considered somewhat of a mystery by the people who know him, or of him. He was a considered one of the top students in the Ninja Academy, but was also a rather normal, if more-than-somewhat antisocial child. The true mystery was the father who no one saw, no one spoke to, who no one could even confirm existed. So when Saigo suddenly develops a bloodline trait that none could expect, a secret kept for over a decade comes to light, even though the former Hokage had forbidden anyone knowing of it to ever speak of it, even to her replacement. And the truth about Saigo's father is revealed. AU story because of changes made to canon plot.**

**NOTE: I've received questions about the NaruSasuNaru aspect of this fiction. I like build up, plot-wise and relationship-wise, so it might take fifteen chapters before something happens between those two, but it WILL happen. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Part Seven**

Saigo exited the shop, the straps of the protective bag carrying his purchases held comfortably in his left hand. He watched the people moving around outside the shop, of which there were many due for it was close to noon, and the many people who were out in the market, buying things as he was, or possibly on their lunch breaks. Carefully sidestepping a group of women—probably housewives out for their weekly shopping—he entered into the throng of people.

_You would think that only a shinobi would be able to move through this without being lost or dragged under._

He continued his journey to the edge of the mass of people, ready to take a side street onwards toward his home. Even though he knew that his father would not mind if he was gone longer than he had said when he left, Saigo still wanted to return home soon. Due to extended missions and training sessions, he had not been home very much lately and he wanted to spend more time with his father before he left for yet another mission the next day. Saigo hoped that all of the missions that Cell 13 had been issued lately was to prepare them for the Chuunin Exams and not simply because there was a rise in the number of Konoha's clientele.

"_Hey!_ _Saigo!_"

He finally heard the shouts of someone calling from nearby and turned to see a large hand waving at him from inside of a rather familiar restaurant—one that served a _particular_ cuisine. The curtains were swept aside and he was greeted with the sight of bright blue eyes and blonde hair.

"Hokage-sama," Saigo gave a small bow of greeting.

"C'mon, haven't I told you to stop calling me that?" Naruto complained rather petulantly.

_/ A hand draped over his shoulder, which Saigo reflexively glared at, ready to tell the offender to remove it or lose it, although he dropped the annoyed look once he realized that he was giving this look to the leader of Konohagakure._

"_Hokage-sama…you should pay attention to your opponent," he said instead._

"_Ah, he's too busy hiding from me 'cause he knows he can't face me head on," the blonde waved a hand dismissively. "And don't call me 'Hokage-sama.' It makes me feel really old. Just call me Naruto."_

"_That is inappropriate," he stated. "You _**are** _Hokage, and several years my senior."_

_Naruto stared into the serious eyes of the brunette and sighed. "You need to learn to loosen up and relax on the formality a little, kid," he gave the shoulder he was holding a shake before standing his full height and taking a step back. "What kind of teacher is Konohamaru if he didn't even teach you _**that**_?" This was said louder, most definitely with the intention of said instructor hearing._

_The reply was two kunai from different directions that struck the tree behind them directly on opposite sides of the Hokage's head. /_

"Yes," Saigo acknowledged, "but I still stand by the fact that it would be rude of me to behave so familiar with you. To refer to you by your first name is rather personal for a leader and his subordinate, don't you think, Hokage-sama?"

If it wasn't for the fact that the boy sounded so damn calm and serious, Naruto would have thought that he added that last bit to be condescending—and he tried **not** to think about how a certain someone would have _meant_ it that way. To the blonde, this honest, formal show of respect was even worse. It had been his goal to become Hokage so that everyone would acknowledge and respect him, and perhaps even come to _like_ him. He may have accomplished all of that—at least with the majority of people and not without a lot of hard work and high-ranked names on his side—but it seemed that one of the main issues that he still combated was the fact that the title of Hokage caused a barrier to be erected between him and others that he never wanted to be there.

And here was the proof in a young boy that was barely half his age who looked upon him with such respect, but only because he was Hokage, because in fact they knew next to nothing about one another. A few weeks prior, Naruto wouldn't have even been able to put a name to his face. Had he really become so disconnected from the very people he had wanted so badly to be acknowledged by?

_I'm definitely going to have to do more public appearances or something. Maybe a parade,_ Naruto told himself, mind coming up with different ideas to deal with this little 'problem.' He glanced back over to Saigo, and a smile grew across his features. _Isn't there that saying about 'one little step at a time'?_

He took a few steps forward and wrapped his arm around the boy's shoulders in a coaxing manner. Saigo stiffened beforehand, already recognizing the signs. _Is the Hokage supposed to be this _'**touchy-feely'** He wondered.

"Since you say that it's personal to call me by my name, that just means you don't know me well enough. So the only way to get to know me better would be to spend more time around me, right?" Naruto explained simplistically, as if it was obvious and the solution was therefore just as plain. "That said...You're going to have lunch with me before Moegi comes to chase me back to the Tower."

"What?" Saigo frowned, "Hokage-sama, I was on my way ho-"

"I insist!" Naruto stated, eyes taking on an 'I-said-so-therefore-you-can't-get-out-of-it' gleam of stubbornness. "If the only way to get you to stop talking about me like I'm some revered Holy Man, is for you to get to know me better than, you'll just have to get used to having me around _a lot_."

Before Saigo was fully able to defend himself, he had already been led through the curtains of Ichiraku Ramen and pushed toward a stool. _Is he serious?_ the brunette wondered. _He's chosen to harass me, all because I speak to him with _**respect**Saigo was beginning to believe that there was something seriously _wrong_ about the way the Hokage's mind functioned.

"Just sit down," Naruto told him, a warm, easy-going smile once more on his face. "It's lunchtime and I don't think your old man would mind you eating before you went home, would he?"

"No, but I did say I would-"

"You won't get in trouble for being a _little_ late, right?"

"No, but that's not-"

"No problem, then, right?" Naruto said.

Saigo was not sure if he had ever met anyone that had left him feeling so utterly stumped and frustrated within a matter of seconds. Not even Lin had mastered the art of pushing people so far with her "Youth" speeches that he had ever wanted to strangle her out of sheer irritation. The brunette had to remind himself that it was not a good idea to be entertaining homicidal fantasies with the leader of your village as the star role.

And yet it seemed that the Hokage, the very _leader_ and _personification_ of the strengths—and the weaknesses—of Konohagakure often drove him to frustration and confusion in a manner that seemed rather deliberate. He just didn't understand the man. The more time he spent around him, the less he was capable of comprehending any of his actions or motives. There were times when he was very strong, and somewhat awe-inspiring—although this is something that Saigo would never say aloud, because he had learned that the Hokage already had a sizeable ego—but then there were times that he seemed like a complete moron no better than his perverted sensei, Konohamaru.

It almost didn't make sense how someone like him could become Hokage. Sure, he had been taught about all of the heroic exploits of Uzumaki Naruto during the last war and how he had helped save thousands of lives, but just looking at the man, one would not see him as anything too extraordinary. But even for all his immature and loud behavior, he was a very skilled ninja. He had proved that during his match with Konohamaru-sensei…or rather at the end of it.

/ _The smoke was finally beginning to dissipate. The clash between the two powerful shinobi had been quick, almost too fast for Saigo's eyes to catch, although he had been paying attention avidly for some time now._

_It seemed that the Hokage had not been pleased when Konohamaru had begun using his own favorite technique to strike at him from various areas around the field without even being seen. This has led to multiple of Kage Bushin being called out by both and a rather childish brawl had ensued. Just as it seemed that the blonde was going to win, as there was only one of his instructor's Kage Bushin left on the field, the clone had exploded, the tag on its back finally having been triggered._

_The blast had caused dust and debris to cover the area around the Hokage, and the members of Cell 13 had covered their eyes out of instinct. Once the dust had begun to settle down again, the three had waited, trying to see what had occurred, if a winner would finally be declared. When the air was clear enough to see the figures entangled in the center of the field, Saigo's eyes widened in shock._

_On the ground was the Hokage with a kunai to his throat, Konohamaru-sensei standing over him with a large, victorious smirk on his face. But just behind him was another Hokage holding a kunai to the back of the younger man's head._

_This didn't seem to worry Konohamaru-sensei, and he looked down at the Hokage and said, "The Kage Bushin will disappear is I injure you enough to break your concentration."_

_The Hokage on the ground gave a teasing smirk in return. "Duh," he replied, "I am the Bushin after all."_

_And with that the man disappeared into a puff of smoke, while the one behind Konohamaru-sensei pressed the tip of his kunai into the back of his skull._

_The look on Saigo's instructor's face was almost one of acknowledged defeat, but also a small smile, showing no hard feelings between the two. "Damn…" he huffed out. "How do you always manage to do that?"_

"_It's called talent, Konohamaru, get some."_

_The blonde stepped back and returned his kunai to his holster, only to then slap his defeated opponent in the shoulder with less-than-gentle force. He let out a loud guffaw, turning around to stare at the three students that were watching from the sidelines. "Now let's go to Ichiraku, guys…and girl. It _**is** _lunchtime after all, and _**Konohamaru-sensei** _is buying, right?" He gave a cheeky grin._

_Konohamaru did frown now, his hand rubbing against his offended shoulder, "You're such as ass, _**Hokage-sama**_."_

"_And you still owe me a month's worth of Ramen lunches, so quit being so sore about it," his opponent replied with that sly grin implanted on his features as if it was ingrained into his face. "It's not like I'm the kind of date that would tell you to leave the kids at home. Just don't blame me if they see something '_**indecent**_.'" The Hokage had to dodge another kunai that really _**was** _aiming for his face this time. _/

_It seems that even the strongest of shinobi can act like idiotic children when they want to_, Saigo decided, watching the man and he laughed and flirted with the older woman behind the counter, pouting when she smiled, but didn't return his playful advances.

"Ayame-nee-chan, if I didn't see you as a sister I would have already married you," he leaned over the counter to watch as she prepared the five bowls of ramen that he had ordered. "But I'll just have to settle for having your ramen and not your heart."

The woman gave a small laugh at this, which she tried to cover up, but couldn't quite manage. "I think my father wouldn't approve of such a relationship, Hokage-sama," she replied with a serious tone, although she winked as she did so. "He would lose a lot business if you didn't have to pay anymore." She then set the two bowls she had finished preparing in front of her customers.

"Smells great, as always!" Naruto replied, taking up his chopsticks and breaking them with an "Itadakimasu!"

Saigo followed his example, although not in such an enthusiastic manner. He ate at a steady pace, wincing at times when he heard the slurping noises of the Hokage enjoying his own meal. Discreetly, he looked around, trying to see whether any of the other customers—there were only three—were paying attention to the lack of good manners the blonde was using as he all but inhaled the ramen. It was somewhat embarrassing for the young boy. _At least I know all adults don't act like he does_, he reminded himself. His father would **never** eat in such a disorganized and sloppy way.

"You eat so slowly," the Hokage pointed out. "It'll get cold if you take too long. It's not like you need to analyze each bite first."

The statement might not have meant anything, but Saigo took a particular offense to it. There was nothing wrong with how he ate. His father ate in exactly the same manner. "I simply want to enjoy what I'm eating," he scowled. "Only idiots swallow their food without even bother to chew or taste it."

The Hokage stared at him. The look in his eyes was somewhat disturbing, as if he was staring through the brunette at someone or something else altogether and Saigo was more than a little unsettled by it. Then he closed his eyes for longer than was automatic and the look was gone. A look of anger came over his face and the blonde thrust his chopsticks at him almost didn't lean back to protect his nose.

"There is _no one_ in the world that treasures ramen more than I do," he stated with all the seriousness of someone giving a declaration of war. "Not even the Akimichi can claim to take as much joy in savoring each and every bite."

Saigo didn't know what to think. He had obviously upset the _Hokage_ and that's definitely something that was 'not-a-good-thing-to-do'—he was ignoring the fact Konohamaru-sensei seemed to enjoy doing it all of the time. He quickly gave a small bow to show his apology, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoken so brashly."

The look of anger was quickly replaced with one of disbelief. "_Damn_, kid! Are you sure you're not related to the Hyuuga? Because there's no other clan in this village that has a stick shoved _that_ far up their collective asses that they can't tell a joke when they see one." And then he started to laugh as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard in the world.

Saigo blinked in confusion, processing the man's words. If he hadn't know just how much **more** humiliating it would be if he did, he would have blushed to the tips of his ears. Instead he settled on scowling and calling his 'companion' as many insults as he could within his mind, throwing all thoughts of respectfulness and professionalism into the dirt.

_He's a complete and total _**idiot**

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Saigo was late. It was only ten minutes passed the time that his son had estimated he would return, but never before had he been late, unless it was mission-related. He wondered what could have kept him, but only briefly. The boy did not need to return home at any exact time. It was best if he began spending more time outside of the home and away from him. There was only so much time before…

These were not thoughts he entertained often and so he refused to allow them to go any further. It was very boring when one spent most of his time trying to _not_ think, but as Saigo grew older and therefore spent less time around the home, he had very little else he could do besides sit and think. No training was allowed unless it was for Saigo's benefit, and there were very few books produced for the "vision-impaired" that he hadn't read throughout the years as they had become an unexpected 'addition' to his grocery list since he'd lost majority of his sight. Nothing was ever said about the books that were always found on the counter closest to the backyard and returned there once he finished with them. Reading material was not something that Tsunade would think to provide him, and through all of the years he'd only had one consistent 'guard,' which narrowed the field of suspects who could have left the "gifts" considerably.

It wasn't his place to question things.

Instead, he went up to his room, steps following the images in his mind rather than his useless eyes. The benefit of being confined within the same area for so many years was that nothing ever changed. Saigo was not a messy child, and any form of disorganization he had was kept behind the doors of his room, which his father never went into. There was nothing out of place in the hall that led to the room that had been both his prison and his sanctuary for the past twelve years, but once he neared the bedroom, there was an obvious change in the air. Some was not as it should be.

He opened the door as he always would and stood in the entranceway for a moment, taking in the presence within the room. Even without his eyes, he would recognize this person anywhere.

"Does Tsunade know you're here?" he asked.

The person shifted on his bed, moving to a sitting position from the reclining one on his bed. He heard the soft clap, the sound of a book closing.

"Why Tezuka…" Kakashi replied, "It almost sounds as if you didn't want to see me."

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/ _He knew it had been a mistake as soon as they had entered the village. It was the largest village they had traveled through to date, and also the closest one to the Fire Country border. It hadn't been his preference that they stopped in such a large and guarded area, but supplies were getting low and the boy was getting fussy. He had used a genjutsu to put the child to sleep, and had then used henge to cloak his appearances. To the gatekeepers he appeared to be a young mother traveling to the market with her baby on her back._

_Everything had gone well at first. It wasn't hard to 'borrow' money from different people around them without being noticed and buying supplies went smoothly. He had henged his traveling bag into a large wicker basket, something that a country woman would carry when buying groceries. He wanted to leave as soon as possible; the kid would be waking up soon as genjutsu never lasted very long on him. Another of various side effects._

_It was odd at first, pretending to be a woman. Thankfully, he found it to the easiest way to explain why he traveled around with a child not even two years old. He used the same story, with slight variations every time. A woman searching for the 'love of her life' that had been run out of the village after her father had found out about their secret affair. She too had been disgraced once the 'pregnancy' was revealed and had been forced to leave and had gone from village to village searching for the man she loved, so that their family could be reunited. There was always those few who didn't trust him, but most often the women became rather welcoming, if only for the sake of the baby. It had come to the point that he spent more time disguised as a woman than he did as a man. He had yet to run into any ninja—Oto, Konoha, or otherwise affiliated—in quite some time, yet he maintained the same cautious nature. Who knew when his lucky streak would come to an end?_

_It was his last stop, a clothing stand, to buy some new clothes for the child. He was growing so fast and his clothing was already beginning to look tight and uncomfortable. In the small villages they stayed in for weeks at a time, it was hard to get already made clothes, and so buying a few more pairs now, while he 'had the money' would be the best idea._

_Buying three shirts and two pairs of pants had him left with next to nothing of his 'borrowed' money to spare and so he had packed the items carefully away in the 'basket' and proceeded towards the gates. The crowds were thick, seeing as it was the largest market village in the area and so most came here to buy and sell. It was one of the reasons why he disliked larger villages. Coming in contact with so many people, anyone could be a ninja in disguise. In smaller villages it was easier to avoid anyone new or suspicious simply based on the gossip of the native women._

_He had almost been home free, only a few steps away from the gate where he had entered, only to have his 'basket' knocked from the side by a man with a cart of vegetables. The small loaf of bread that he had bought fell and he had almost stooped to catch it, but was shocked to see someone else reach out instead._

"_Got it!"_

_He looked up to see himself staring into kind brown eyes and a gentle smile. "Thank you," he said; his voice soft and feminine from practice._

"_You're welcome miss," the man replied in return. "It seems that you have your hands full." His eyes moved from the basket in his arms to the carrier strapped around his back and his other cargo._

"_Oh, yes, market day, always busy," he spoke, allowing a practiced smile cross his lips. The man was still smiling, but warning signals were going off in his head. Something was not right. He needed to get out of there _**now**

"_Are you here all alone?"_

"_Just me and my son, but it's fine," he allowed the smile to appear tired. "Thank you for your help, but it's getting late, so I should be on my way home. If I keep dallying, I won't get there until nightfall." He gave a short bow, being polite while not jostling the still sleeping child on his back. "Good day." Then he left, still maintaining the same composure. He could still feel the man's eyes on him. He could still feel the man's chakra. It didn't seem like much, but was refined and trained. Civilians with any measurable amount of chakra usually left it chaotic and unchecked around them as there was no reason to learn to control it, to harness it for more deadly uses. A civilian with control over their chakra wasn't an anomaly, as there were many who studied, but never managed to graduate from ninja academies, but there was something else…_

_He followed the main road for almost an hour, traveling beside other comers and goers. Then he turned onto a less inhabited dirt road and walked until he was sure he had enough privacy to leave it. Taking into the woods beside the road, he began his backward trek so as to bypass the village and move onward. He had to get as far from the Fire Country border as possible. He was thinking that it would be best to return to Red Bean Country for a while._

_It was some time before he recognized the presence of another person. Multiple persons. He was being followed. And the same time, there were not chakra signatures, meaning that the people were masking themselves very well, or they simply weren't ninjas. He maintained the same, smooth, pace that he had been taking, but prepared himself for an inevitable confrontation._

_Wait for it. Just wait._

_Leaves rustled loudly. Definitely not ninja._

_He spun about, coming face-to-face with a group of varied, but hardened-looking, muscular men. All had weapons, although it was obvious that none of them were a threat to him._

"_What is a young lady like yourself doing out in these woods? And with a baby?" one asked with a smirk on his face. He may have been handsome once, before someone took the pleasure of smashing his face in and leaving it that way. "Don't you know it's not 'safe' to move off the road?"_

"_What do you want?"_

_The shortest of the three snorted, "What do ya got?"_

"_Nothing that you could possibly want." Unless they all had a death wish._

_The first laughed and the other two followed. "I think a pretty woman such as yourself as _**a lot** _to offer a man," he replied._

_Pretty? He knew in fact that his henge was actually rather plain—muddy brown eyes and limp dirt-colored hair—just as he wanted it to be. Not only were these men idiots, they also had bad taste._

_The men moved forward quickly, although they didn't pull their weapons. They obviously believed it would be easy to subdue a woman with a baby strapped to her back. Their underestimation would cost them dearly. _

_Grabbing a kunai from with the 'basket', he dropped it to the forest floor, willing to clean off anything that was dirtied by his actions. The first man to reach him had been the only one that hadn't spoken, and after the black blade cut his throat, he was never able to again. The other two reared back in shock, but that didn't stop him from going on the offense. _

_He kept himself balanced, the carrier on his back moving only marginally with his motions. His next target was the short one, which he elbowed directly in the nose, sending the fragments into his brain. As he finished that one off, the one he had believed to be the leader was backing away, eyes wide in confusion and sudden fear._

"_W-W-Who _**are** _you?!" he exclaimed, pulling the sword from his side reflexively. _

"_Death," he stated bluntly—although the words sounded so wrong in his voice that was still soft and feminine—easily parrying a downward strike of the man's blade with his small kunai. The man struck down again and he moved to the side, letting his weapon cut deep into the man's forearm._

_He cried out, a loud, shrieking noise, dropping the sword. He fell to his knees and looked up at the 'woman' he thought could be so easily overpowered, the shock transforming into blaring rage. "You-!" His words halted in his throat, eyes wide and the fear once more taking over. He knew he was going to die._

"_No…please…"_

"_I can't allow you to live," he gave no other explanation or warning before slitting his throat as he had done the first man. Gurgling noises came from the blood welling up from the wide gash across the man's neck. He stepped back before any could splatter on him and watched as the body abruptly stopped convulsing. _

_He bent down and cleaned the kunai on the man's pants' leg, but didn't allow himself to relax, because there was a sudden—purposeful—flare of chakra, giving away the presence of the one onlooker. _

"_That's quite some skills for a young woman carrying a baby. That is, if the baby isn't just part of an extreme henge."_

_He stood up and turned towards the voice. The dark-haired man from the market was leaning against the tree that he had left his 'basket' near, staring at him. Now that he saw him again, he realized that the abnormality that had struck him the first time they'd stared at one another was the man's eyes. They didn't quite match for some reason. To most it would be imperceptible, but to him it was obvious that one was actually a little darker than the other. And he knew exactly why._

_He didn't bother to keep up the act, as he knew his opponent could obviously see through his disguise, even though he couldn't actually '_**see**' _through it. He knew he was a ninja—assuming a missing-nin—but didn't recognize him._

_There was movement on his back, the carrier shaking and he knew that there was going to be some complications. A hand reached out to clench in the back of his shirt._

"…_Kaa…Kaa…Kaa…"_

_The man seemed surprised, but covered it quickly. He moved, realizing that he needed to get away as soon as possible. If one ninja was around, then it was probable that there were others, even if he knew _**He** _normally worked alone. The other's hands were suddenly moving and he knew then that his henge had just been broken. Brown eyes widened in shock. He ran._

_Only to be blocked by another person, who this time obviously wore the hitai-ate of Konohagakure. The quick stop did jar his rider this time and the boy gave out a startled cry. Immediately he struck out, catching the man by surprise with the kunai he barely remembered holding, although only slicing through part of his jounin uniform. The man dodged the brunt of the strike, but it still gave him time to leap up into the boughs of the trees and run. He didn't care about all of the supplies that had been left behind._

_He could feel the small hands that gripped the back of his shirt tightly._

_He couldn't run using his full speed because it was to risky for the child on his back. The carrier had been made out of a travel backpack and therefore was not the most secure. Too much jarring would cause-_

_Someone leapt towards him from below, causing him to jump upwards and out of range of their attack. He quickly moved to the side, avoiding a kunai that was had been aimed at his throat. There was another kunai. He moved again. He heard the sound of leather tearing. One of the straps had been struck. The baby cried at the rough treatment. _

_He swung the boy around so that he held him to his chest with one arm, allowing the kid to cling to him. A body dropped down so that it was on the branch above him. There was still the ninja below him as well. He remained calm outwardly, although his mind was racing to find a way out of the current predicament. The last time he had been found, he hadn't the handicap of the child being with him. It had been easy to dispose of his tracker. This time his movement was greatly impeded. He had to think of something._

"_Uchiha Sasuke," the ninja from below called out. "You are a missing-nin wanted for desertion and treason towards your village, Konohagakure."_

_He didn't reply to the man's words, eyes instead moving upwards to meet with that of the man he had first encountered. His own henge was gone now, revealing the true ninja that he had known was beneath._

"…_Kaa…Kaa…Kaa…" the kid was scared, voice sounding teary and upset. There was no way to calm him._

"_Where did he come from, Sasuke?" The man above him glanced down with one grey eye, the other blood red._

"_I already told you," he replied. "He's my son." _/

* * *

**Knowing when I'm going to update this is impossible and I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. Although Thanksgiving is in a few weeks and I have another story that deserves attention, so I'm hoping to get some writing in then. If not there's always Winter Break. (crosses fingers)**


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